MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay: old regime could begin to crumble on Sunday

Former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo

The last 48 hours before Sunday's vote to elect president and a new Congress in Paraguay are showing the strains of an ancient regime that has ruled undisputedly in the country for over six decades but which seems condemned according to the prevailing opinion polls for the last twelve months.

Former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo, the outsider who is rocking the entire long established Paraguayan political system did not turn up, with only an hour's warning, to the last television debate with three other candidates, particularly the two who are disputing the runner up position. "Sadly political conditions for the participation in an encounter of such characteristics are non existent" said a release sent by the Lugo campaign office read by the frustrated anchorman of the television debate. "Paraguayan citizens are entitled to the maximum respect, and this respect has been systematically trespasses in the last few days" added the release signed by Miguel Angel Lopez Perito, campaign chief. "The people have a right to know what we think and our proposals. Debate is essential for the democratic health of our country. I regret what Fernando Lugo has done", said the ruling Colorado Party candidate, Blanca Olevar and disputing the second place in the polls with former general Lino Oviedo. "We Paraguayans have suffered dictatorship and now under democracy we continue to suffer. This irresponsibility already qualifies how the absentee candidate is. This is the last debate and the Paraguayan people have been defrauded", said Lino Oviedo. But the frustrated television reporter was furious saying that: "candidate Lugo has only let us know he's not coming with an hour's notice. There's no way we can trust this man from now on", he said calling Lugo "irresponsible, coward, dishonest and swindler". Paraguayan law stipulates a 48 hours ban (Thursday) on all electoral proselytism before Election Day (Sunday) and no results can be anticipated until all voting booths are closed. However Lugo's absence can be tracked to his group's decision, just a few hours before, stating that they will not recognize the validity of partial electoral results from the Electoral Justice when balloting closes on Sunday. In Paraguay Electoral Justice is responsible for announcing primary results, but in Paraguay with the Colorado Party long standing control of the government and its ability to vote-rigging, --when necessary--, opposition parties have always been suspicious. It has happened that while vote counting by the Electoral Justice Paraguay has suffered an unexpected blackout and on the return of energy the tally panels the Colorado Party appears comfortably ahead or rapidly recovering lost ground. The Organization of American States, OAS, is sending 300 observers and has repeatedly called on candidates to put an end to mud slinging and offensive language tactics. In the previous 2003 presidential election 50% of voting booths had electronic machines, but this time the system returns to the old paper ballots on request from the opposition. Paraguay is a poor, landlocked country of 5.6 million people at the heart of South America. It lost a good chunk of its territory, and many of its men, during the 1864-1870 War of the Triple Alliance against Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The country is known for its corruption and the contraband of goods such as electronics, cigarettes and liquor. Paraguay's Colorado Party is the world's longest-ruling party still in power. The Colorados have governed for more than 60 years, backing the 35-year dictatorship of Gen. Alfredo Stroessner until his overthrow in 1989. Every president in office since the return of democracy has been investigated for corruption. Former bishop Lugo is supported by a coalition of small parties and grass root organizations most of them with no links to the hegemonic Colorado party.