El Salvador governing party set for big parliament win

El Salvador's governing party and its ally are set to win a two-thirds majority in the legislative assembly, preliminary results suggest.

With 80% of votes counted, the Nuevas Ideas (New Ideas) party, and its coalition partner, Gana, look on course to win 56 out of 84 seats.

The preliminary results are a blow to the left-wing FMLN and the right-wing Arena parties, which have dominated Salvadorean politics for decades.

Turnout in the election was at 51%.

It is the first time Nuevas Ideas, which was only registered as a party in 2018, has contested a legislative election.

If the preliminary results are confirmed and the coalition wins two-thirds of the seats - known as a supermajority - President Nayib Bukele will be free to choose new judges for the Supreme Court and a new attorney-general without having to negotiate with rival lawmakers.

Mr Bukele was elected president in February 2019 on a promise to tackle rampant gang violence and political corruption. He won more votes than all other candidates combined.

His approval rating for the government's handling of the coronavirus has been high and the media-savvy president is popular with many voters.

But his opponents have accused him of having authoritarian tendencies and express concern that a supermajority could undermine El Salvador's separation of power and its system of checks and balances.

They cite his use of armed troops to take over the assembly in a bid to force the approval of his budget last year as an example of Mr Bukele overstepping his powers