MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Senate votes against impeaching Paraguay's president

After a lengthy congressional session, Paraguayan legislators on Tuesday voted against impeaching President Luis Gonzalez Macchi, who stands accused of administrative malfeasance and corruption.

Following a 10-hour debate, 25 of the 44 senators in the legislature found Gonzalez Macchi guilty of the accusations levelled against him, falling short of the 30 votes needed to impeach him.

Eighteen senators voted to absolve the president and another senator abstained, but none of the senators - not even those who revealed their intention to vote in Gonzalez Macchi's favor - took the floor to defend his administration. .

The hostility toward the head of the legislature, ruling-party lawmaker Juan Carlos Galaverna, and a slew of last-minute deals allowed those backing the president to secure enough votes to prevent his impeachment. .

Galaverna, first in line to take over the presidency following former Vice President Julio Cesar Franco's resignation last October, failed to honor his pledge made on Monday to step down from the line of presidential succession to facilitate Gonzalez Macchi's impeachment. He delivered a two-hour speech instead. .

Lawmakers in favor of impeaching the president blamed him for perpetuating the country's widespread corruption. .

The arguments of those favoring Gonzalez Macchi's retention were based on the inconvenience of changing presidents so close to the April 27 general elections. .

Despite the impeachment proceedings, Paraguayans went about their daily business as usual, with no street demonstrations against or in favor of Gonzalez Macchi. .

The president stands accused of misappropriating $16 million from two banks in the process of being liquidated, corrupt actions linked to the unsuccessful attempt to privatize the state-owned telephone company, concealing the use made of earmarked funds and dereliction of duty