(Bloomberg) -- El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele stepped down to prepare for elections in February, which polls show he will win by a landslide. 

Lawmakers on Thursday night approved Claudia Rodríguez, a close Bukele ally, as interim president, congress said in a statement on its website. 

Bukele, 42, is popular with voters for having slashed crime by jailing tens of thousands of alleged gang members. But his decision to override constitutional limits to seek a second five-year term has been criticized by some human rights groups, who say it undermines democracy and the rule of law.

If Bukele wins, his second term will start in June. 

 

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