MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lugo threatens stalled Senate with referendum

Lugo's first candid smiles are becoming sour warnings

The two weeks old government of Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo has threatened with a referendum to solve a Congressional confrontation which is delaying crucial legislation for the incoming coalition such as the 2009 budget.

The former bishop said this week that if the Senate continues to not hold formal sessions in "two to three months" he will convene a referendum. "I need a serious Congress. I think it is pitiful how they are loosing time and are not involved in serious business such as discussing how to combat poverty", said Lugo. "I'm not to judge whether (former president) Duarte should join or not the Senate, but I think that it's the house itself, with a majority of votes that must decide on the issue", insisted the Paraguayan president. Lugo said he has been in office less than two weeks, "and since I'm not a politician, I'm a bit slow with some issues, but I am firm. Together with my government team we are ensuring governance and I demand the same from Congress". The institutional conflict which has seen the Senate stalled involves former president Nicanor Duarte, who under the Paraguayan constitution as such has a seat for life in the upper House, but with no right to vote. However Mr. Duarte managed to garner 500.000 votes in the April election, ensuring him an elected Senate seat. The problem began when the president of the Senate Enrique Gonzales Quintana swore Duarte as a member of the elected house but without the necessary quorum for such a decision. A few hours later in an extraordinary session the Senate invalidated Mr. Duarte's oath and confirmed in his bench the second option, Senator Jorge Cespedes. But the Senate president argued the extraordinary session was invalidated because he did not convene as is his responsibility. Therefore the Paraguayan Senate the following day had an extra 46th member instead of the normal 45. The fact is that the Paraguayan constitution apparently did not foresee or includes such a situation: an outgoing president who manages to be voted in as a member of the Senate, although he already has a bench. When Mr. Duarte was elected to the Senate last April, President Lugo and a catch-all coalition defeated the ruling Partido Colorado (to which Mr. Duarte belongs) putting an end to over six decades of undisputed hegemony. The truth is many members of Congress (including from the Partido Colorado who resent the loss of government) would like to see Mr. Duarte face the courts for alleged embezzlement and corruption, which he would avoid as elected Senator. But in practical terms the Senate has been neutralized and legislation debate is stalled. "The Senate crisis is serious. It has paralyzed government which can't receive international loans, grants, can't name ambassadors and even worse has the whole 2009 budget consideration and its deadline frozen", said Carlos Martini a leading political scientist and analyst from Asunción.