MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Removed Paraguayan president says he can run again for the Executive office

Again with the presidential sash or a member of the Senate waits for Lugo

Former Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo who was removed from office last June following a political impeachment in Congress said he can again be a presidential candidate in the coming April elections.

“There is a real opportunity to run for a seat in the Senate, and the Guasú Front (alliance of left wing parties) is considering that option but there is also the issue of a presidential candidacy”, said Lugo interviewed by O Estado de Sao Paulo.

The former bishop who last week spent two days in Brazil for his routine check-up after having been treated a few years ago for lymphatic cancer, said that “the Paraguayan constitution vetoes the presidential re-election” but in his case he left the post before the end of his five year mandate.

However Lugo admitted there is “uncertainty” on the issue since half of the ‘legal library’ says yes he can be a candidate, the other half says no.

“I have received three legal consultations on the issue saying that I do have the right to run again next year” pointed out Lugo who said that the last word about his removal has yet to be said.

Finally on the inclusion of Venezuela while Paraguay was suspended Lugo argued that Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay did the ‘logic’ thing in Brasilia when they formally make official the incorporation.

Meanwhile the Paraguayan Senate decided to postpone indefinitely a vote on the inclusion of Venezuela to Mercosur. The decision was adopted in the last session following an initiative to have the protocol of adhesion approved under a ‘fast track’ procedure.

However several senators said the protocol needed to be studied and analyzed before it was voted. But addressing the issue in some future session was also voted down by other Senators.

The overwhelming majority of Paraguayan political parties, the same that voted Lugo’s impeachment and removal from office, have openly expressed their rejection to Venezuela’s inclusion in Mercosur.

Last 31 July there was an extraordinary meeting in Brasilia where the presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay formalized the inclusion of Venezuela, despite the fact the Paraguayan legislative never voted on the issue.

The decision remains controversial because according to Mercosur rules, Paraguay even suspended is part of the group and the incorporation of a new member needs the approval of all full members.

From Caracas a top official from the Venezuelan government said despite the suspension, it does not believe or wants Paraguay to abandon Mercosur and the integration process.

“We don’t believe Paraguay will walk out of Mercosur. We don’t believe it or want it to happen” said Isabel Delgado head of the presidential commission for the inclusion of Venezuela to Mercosur.

Ms Delgado said that at the meeting of Brasilia Venezuela was given four years to adapt to Mercosur trade rules and the common external tariff, while each country has the right to a list of 200 ‘protected’ goods.

Nevertheless Ms Delgado recalled that Venezuela already had a trade agreement with Venezuela which contemplated the progressive downing of tariffs and already “30% of the tariffs universe stands at zero”.

The Venezuelan official recalled that Paraguay was also against the ‘200 goods protected list’ and still retains full diplomatic relations with the ‘rebel’ province of Taiwan which “was interfering with the achievement of closer Mercosur/China links”.

Finally Ms Delgado said Mercosur was in “the midst of quick change” but was certainly not a ‘revolutionary Mercosur’ such is the case of the Bolivarian Alliance of Nations, ALBA. It is a process of change with significant diversities”.