MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan congress blocks re-election attempt of an ambitious bishop-president

President Lugo famous for his several paternity scandals

Paraguay's opposition-controlled Congress rejected a constitutional reform that would have let President Fernando Lugo run for re-election. The reform drive, led by Lugo's supporters, proved controversial in a country where many people have painful memories of General Alfredo Stroessner's 35-year dictatorship.

Lugo's allies last month presented a petition to Congress allegedly signed by 90,000 people, urging lawmakers to amend the constitution, which limits leaders to a single term since 1992.

Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop who quit the Church to run for the presidency, says he is not interested in seeking another five-year term in 2013. Opposition senators disputed that during Thursday's debate.

“The re-election campaign is being driven by the president himself,” said Senator Lilian Samaniego. “He's employing his usual ambiguity to give the impression he's got nothing to do with this attempt to violate the constitution”.

Some critics of the proposal to amend the constitution said it aimed to take the country down the path followed by other regional presidents including Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Ecuador's Rafael Correa.

Congress voted to reject and archive the amendment, a decision that angered the president's supporters and that could rekindle debate within the ruling coalition over a potential successor.

“This is a slap in the face for the Paraguayan people” said ruling party Senator Carlos Filizzola.

Lugo was elected by a catch-all coalition in 2008, ending six decades of rule by the conservative Colorado Party on pledges to champion the needs of the poor and recover “energy sovereignty” from neighbouring Brazil and Argentina that absorb all extra surplus from huge bi-national hydroelectric dams at rock bottom prices.

But he has faced stiff resistance to his reform agenda from the opposition-controlled Congress and his backers say he needs more time. A cancer scare and several paternity scandals have also complicated Lugo's presidency, plus the fact the coalition that took him to office has splintered.

Re-election has been banned in Paraguay since Stroessner's constitution was overhauled following the fall of his dictatorship in 1989.

Latin America is the last fifteen years has seen constitutional amendments to allow for a one mandate re-election. Such is the case of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia and indefinite re-election in Venezuela’s Chavez. However a similar attempt in Honduras led to an institutional crisis with the ousting of the president by the other branches of government.

Traditionally Latin America fearful of strong leaders (‘caudillos’), did not support the idea of re-election.