MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Unasur observers will attend Paraguay election scheduled for next April

Salomon Lerner visited Paraguay on a fact finding mission last November

Representatives from Unasur confirmed that they will be present to follow the April 2013 general elections in Paraguay, reported the spokesperson for the country’s Superior Electoral Justice Tribunal, TSJE.

The tribunal received the official confirmation from Salomon Lerner, president of the Unasur High Level Group on Paraguay which was instructed to follow political and electoral events in the country. Lerner visited Paraguay on an informal data-collecting mission last November.

“Now Unasur has decided to officially establish direct relations with the electoral justice of Paraguay” said Luis Alberto Mauro, spokesperson for the TSJE.

The TSJE is organizing the visit to ensure security and immunity to the Unasur observers taking into account the fact that the block’s representatives do not have an official invitation from the Paraguayan government.

Unasur, Union of South American Nations decided to suspend Paraguay from the block following the impeachment and removal from office of then Fernando Lugo and his replacement by Federico Franco. Mercosur also suspended Paraguay from the block.

However the Organization of American States, OAS, never went that far and recognizes the government of President Franco, and will be sending a numerous delegation to monitor and follow the April elections. An advance team is already in the country monitoring the political situation and preparing the ground for when the main delegation arrives.