MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Opposition promise support for Paraguay president elect

President Duarte returns to Congress as a Senator

Paraguay's President Nicanor Duarte revealed that he had talks with president elect Fernando Lugo “to ensure governance” for the country, and if the incoming administration proposes a constitutional review, he will support it from Congress, according to reports in Asunción Sunday press.

Although not many details were advanced Duarte said that last Friday he met with Lugo and vice president elect Federico Franco and talked about the "necessity to ensure governance for Paraguay". But he also cautioned that before, agreements must be reached at Congressional level. None of the three leading forces in Paraguay has a majority in Congress. "We believe it's essential the future government has the necessary support to rule, because an atmosphere of instability and political dispute won't contribute to the development of the country", said President Duarte who next August 15 after handing the sash to Lugo returns to Congress as a Senator. In Sunday April 20 presidential election the Colorado Party which has ruled Paraguay during the last 61 years lost to former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo and a coalition of opposition parties and grass root organizations. Duarte also underlined that "real power rests in Congress", since no group has a clear majority, which means "there must be negotiations between the different groups represented in Congress". Apparently during the Friday meeting elected authorities requested government information and both sides agreed they will not contract or fire staff during the transition period. Only documents signed by the incoming vice president Franco and the outgoing Francisco Oviedo will be effective. Meantime the former bishop received strong support from the Catholic Church whose maximum representative in Paraguay called on the faithful "to accept Lugo as president of the Republic, as it has been acknowledged by the Church", and to help him accomplish his duties. In an interview with Asunción ABC Color Monsignor Ignacio Gogorza head of the Paraguayan Episcopal Conference, CEP, said the Vatican was looking for a new figure "to avoid the president elect from loosing his condition of bishop". Gogorza said that Lugo remains "momentarily suspended" but added that the church in Rome "is looking for a new figure which should facilitate Monsignor Lugo exercise as president", since canonical law does not contemplate such a situation and "this is the first time a case like this happens in the universal church". CEP president Gogorza underlined Lugo got involved in party politics on his own, with out the Church's consent although he did admit that having a bishop as president will effectively facilitate relations between Church and State. Anyhow, "the people wanted a change and saw in Monsignor Lugo a person who could make such a change", therefore "we call on all Catholics to accept him as president, as has done the Church".