MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay's ruling party to tackle corruption within its ranks

The ANR has many political leaders under the microscope, such as former President Horacio Cartes, who has been declared as “most corrupt” by the US

Paraguay's ruling National Republican Association (ANR) -also known as the Colorado Party- Wednesday approved a series of amendments to its internal code of ethics to target potential candidates linked to money laundering. Other initiatives included the possibility of online membership.

The ANR's Governing Board introduced harsher measures for those who fail to comply with the Political Financing Law and are linked to money laundering.

“The candidate member who transgresses the Political Financing Law is going to have internal sanctions within the party, ranging from the imposition of a fine, the suspension for five years of their rights as a member. and in the most serious cases and reiterations, the expulsion from the party's registry,” ANR trustee Wildo Almirón explained.

He added that the validity of the Political Financing Law led them to adjust the sanctions. He also claimed the move was not triggered by any particular case despite the large number of Colorado leaders under investigation for fudgy deals, including former Congressman Lalo Gomes, who was gunned down during a Police raid, or Senator Erico Galeano, among others.

“It was referred to the proxy room for the opinion that we presented today and in view of the opinion presented today and the proposal of the Court of Conduct, today the plenary resolved to approve and is already part of these three articles of the Code of Ethics. As of the approval and signing of the minutes, which occurred in successive days, it is already in full force within the Colorado Party as a disciplinary regime,” Almirón said.

His fellow trustee Magnolia Mendoza pointed out that online party affiliation has already been enabled through the ANR''s webpage. “In today's session of the Governing Board, the online affiliation project presented by the Commission of Affiliations of the National Republican Association was also approved, thus putting the party at the forefront and updating the affiliation mechanism,” she said.

“We are taking all the legal and statutory precautions so that the veracity of the interest of the person who enters the page requesting affiliation can be verified,” she added.

(Source: ABC)