The Legislative Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of El Salvador.

The Salvadoran legislature is a unicameral body. It is made up of 84 deputies, who are elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms and are eligible for immediate re-election. Of these, 64 are elected in multi-seat constituencies and the remaining 20 by proportional representation.

To be eligible for election to the Assembly, candidates must be (Art. 126, Constitution):

• Older than 25.
• Salvadoran citizens by birth, born of either a Salvadoran father or a Salvadoran mother.
• Of recognised honesty and education.
• Not have had the enjoyment of their rights as citizens cancelled in the previous five years.

Election results

Legislative elections were last held on 16 March 2003 and are next slated to take place in March 2006 . Following the March 2003 vote, party strengths in the Assembly stood as follows:

• Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN): 31 seats
• Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA): 28 seats
• Party of National Conciliation (PCN): 15 seats
• Christian Democratic Party (PDC): 5 seats
• United Democratic Centre (CDU): 5 seats

Other parliamentary bodies

El Salvador also returns deputies to the supranational Central American Parliament.