General elections were held in
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
on 20 April 2008. Elections were held for the presidency, 45 senators, 80 representatives, 17 governors and Paraguay's members in the
Mercosur Parliament
The Mercosur Parliament ( es, link=no, Parlamento del Mercosur, pt, Parlamento do Mercosul), known also as Parlasur, or Parlasul, is the parliamentary institution of the Mercosur trade bloc. It is composed of 81 MPs, 18 from each member states ...
.
The presidential election was won by opposition candidate
Fernando Lugo
Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez (; born 30 May 1951) is a Paraguayan politician and laicized Catholic bishop who was President of Paraguay from 2008 to 2012. Previously he was a Roman Catholic priest and bishop, serving as Bishop of the Diocese ...
of the
Patriotic Alliance for Change
The Patriotic Alliance for Change ( es, Alianza Patriótica por el Cambio, APC) was a Paraguayan electoral alliance.
Its candidate in the 2008 election was Fernando Lugo, who won the election.
Composition
Its members included:http://www.abc.co ...
, who defeated
Blanca Ovelar
Blanca Margarita Ovelar de Duarte (born September 2, 1957) is a Paraguayan politician and former Minister of Education. She was the Colorado Party's nominee for president in the April 2008 presidential election, in which she was defeated.
Ovel ...
of the long-ruling
Colorado Party.
["Opposition wins Paraguay polls"]
Al Jazeera, 21 April 2008. The Colorado Party remained the largest in both houses of
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
despite losing several seats.
The election ended a 61-year hold on the presidency by the Colorados. The Colorados had held the presidency without interruption since 1947 (from 1947 to 1962 as the ''de jure''
sole legal party, and from 1962 to 1989 as the ''de facto'' sole legal party). Additionally, when Lugo took office on 15 August, it marked the first time since Paraguay gained independence in 1813 that an incumbent government
peacefully transferred power
A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly-elected leadership. This may be after elections or during t ...
to an elected member of the opposition.
Presidential candidates and campaigning
The following candidates ran for president:
*
Fernando Lugo
Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez (; born 30 May 1951) is a Paraguayan politician and laicized Catholic bishop who was President of Paraguay from 2008 to 2012. Previously he was a Roman Catholic priest and bishop, serving as Bishop of the Diocese ...
,
Patriotic Alliance for Change
The Patriotic Alliance for Change ( es, Alianza Patriótica por el Cambio, APC) was a Paraguayan electoral alliance.
Its candidate in the 2008 election was Fernando Lugo, who won the election.
Composition
Its members included:http://www.abc.co ...
(APC)
*
Lino Oviedo
Lino César Oviedo Silva (23 September 1943 – 2 February 2013) was the leader of the National Union of Ethical Citizens, which split from the Colorado Party in 2002.
Life and work
Early career
Oviedo was born in poverty in the town of Juan ...
,
National Union of Ethical Citizens
The National Union of Ethical Citizens ( es, Unión Nacional de Ciudadanos Éticos, UNACE) is a right-wing populist political party in Paraguay.
History
The party was established in 2002, although its predecessor, the ''Unión Nacional de Color ...
(UNACE)
*
Blanca Ovelar
Blanca Margarita Ovelar de Duarte (born September 2, 1957) is a Paraguayan politician and former Minister of Education. She was the Colorado Party's nominee for president in the April 2008 presidential election, in which she was defeated.
Ovel ...
,
Colorado Party (ANR-PC)
*
Pedro Fadul
Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter.
The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...
,
Beloved Fatherland Party
The Beloved Fatherland Party ( es, Partido Patria Querida, PPQ) is a political party in Paraguay.
History
Established in 2001, the party first contested national elections in 2003, Nohlen, D (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, ...
(PPQ)
The incumbent president,
Nicanor Duarte Frutos
Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos (born 11 October 1956) is a Paraguayan politician who served as President of Paraguay from 2003 to 2008. In 2013, President Horacio Cartes appointed Duarte as Ambassador to Argentina, a diplomatic posting he held fro ...
, was barred by the Constitution from running for reelection and instead supported his education secretary, Blanca Ovelar. Initial results in the Colorado Party's December 2007 primary showed Ovelar defeating former Vice President
Luis Castiglioni
Luis Alberto Castiglioni Soria (born 31 July 1962 '' Última Hora'', 26 November 2007LA BIOGRAFÍA DE CASTIGLIONI retrieved 29 June 2012) is a Paraguayan politician. He was Vice President of Paraguay for the Colorado Party from 2003 to 2007.
Ca ...
, but the result was disputed, leading to a recount.
["Once-jailed Paraguayan army chief nominated for opposition run for president"]
Associated Press (''The China Post''), 14 January 2008. On 21 January 2008, the Colorado Party electoral commission announced that Ovelar had won with 45.04% of the vote against 44.5% for Castiglioni, although Castiglioni continued to claim victory, alleging that 30,000 votes in his favor were "stolen", and said that he would take the matter to court. Ovelar said that her campaign would shift its focus from the "cruel primary campaign" to the general election and that her platform prioritized "fight against poverty and to the creation of jobs".
["Paraguay nominates first woman for president, ruling party schism threatens bid"]
Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 22 January 2008.
Lugo is a former bishop who resigned from the priesthood in December 2006 in preparation for his presidential bid. As a priest, he required a permit from the Vatican to become directly involved in politics prior to 2006. However, the Paraguayan constitution prohibits ministers of any faith from standing as a political candidate. Despite his resignation, the Vatican regards priesthood as a lifelong commitment but has suspended him from his duties.
As bishop of San Pedro, a poor region, for ten years beginning in 1994, his support for landless peasants earned him a reputation as "the bishop of the poor".
He is an advocate of land reform and other measures to address poverty, but has distanced himself from leftists such as
Hugo Chavez
Hugo or HUGO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese
* Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback
* Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...
and
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma (; born 26 October 1959) is a Bolivian politician, trade union organizer, and former cocalero activist who served as the 65th president of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019. Widely regarded as the country's first president to co ...
, saying that he is not left-wing or right-wing but "in the middle". He vowed to end the Colorado Party's 61 year rule, fight corruption, and make Paraguay "a new country".
[Bill Cormier]
"Paraguay ex-bishop holds final rally"
Associated Press, 18 April 2008. According to Lugo, he believes "in the people's self-determination and in recovering sovereignty and independence". Lugo is backed by the
Patriotic Alliance for Change
The Patriotic Alliance for Change ( es, Alianza Patriótica por el Cambio, APC) was a Paraguayan electoral alliance.
Its candidate in the 2008 election was Fernando Lugo, who won the election.
Composition
Its members included:http://www.abc.co ...
(APC), which includes both left and right wing groups, notably the conservative
Authentic Radical Liberal Party
The Authentic Radical Liberal Party ( es, Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico or ''PLRA'') is a centrist liberal political party in Paraguay. The party is a full member of Liberal International. The ''liberales'', as they are known, are the leadi ...
. President Duarte caused controversy just before the election by telling the ''Ultima Hora'' newspaper that Lugo "probably sells himself" for money from Venezuela,
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, and
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
.
["Paraguayans head to the polls"]
Al Jazeera, 20 April 2008.
Ovelar, the Colorado candidate, said that she knew "what the people need and what has to be done". She said that she would focus on job creation and the strengthening of agricultural cooperatives, hoping to reduce the number of Paraguayans who emigrate for economic reasons.
[ According to Ovelar, Paraguay has "new needs that were not obvious before ... and they require the touch of a woman". If elected, Ovelar would have been Paraguay's first female president.][
]Lino Oviedo
Lino César Oviedo Silva (23 September 1943 – 2 February 2013) was the leader of the National Union of Ethical Citizens, which split from the Colorado Party in 2002.
Life and work
Early career
Oviedo was born in poverty in the town of Juan ...
's conviction for 1996 mutiny was overturned by the Supreme Court in October 2007, leaving him free to run for president. In January 2008 he was nominated as the candidate of his party, the National Union of Ethical Citizens, without opposition.
Ovelar held her last campaign rally in Asuncion on 16 April. Along with Oviedo and Fadul, she participated in a last televised debate in the early afternoon of 17 April; Lugo did not participate, and Ovelar criticized him for this. Lugo held his last rally in Asuncion later that night, with about 15,000 supporters present.[
]
Opinion polls
A poll from September 2007 saw a three-way race develop between Lugo, Oviedo and the ANR-PC candidate.
A poll from November 2007 saw Lugo lead with over 40%, with Oviedo in second place and Castiglioni or Ovelar (it was still undetermined which of the pair would run) in third place.
A poll from March 2008 saw two way developing with Lugo in the lead with 31%, Ovelar in second place with 27% and Oviedo in third place with 24%. A poll from 5 April 2008 saw Lugo and Ovelar in a statistical dead heat with Lugo in the lead with 30.9%, Ovelar in second with 30.1%, and Oviedo in third with 21.4%. More than 10% remained undecided.
Results
Shortly after the election, with results from 13,000 of 14,000 polling stations counted, Lugo had 41% of the vote against 31% for Ovelar and 22% for Oviedo. Lugo's supporters celebrated in the streets of Asuncion, and he declared that "today we've written a new chapter in our nation's political history". Ovelar conceded defeat, acknowledging that Lugo's lead was unassailable.[
A couple of hours later, President Nicanor Duarte Frutos appeared at a press conference somberly but remarked that for the first time in the history of Paraguay a handover to the opposition will take place peacefully and in an orderly fashion.
In the gubernatorial election, the ANR won nine departments, the PLRA seven and the APC one.
In August, shortly before taking office, Lugo struck a deal with Oviedo, enabling him to govern with a parliamentary majority. Together, the Authentic Liberal Radical Party and National Union for Ethical Citizens will hold 25 out of 45 Senate seats and 44 out of 80 House of Representatives seats.
Lugo was sworn in as president on 15 August 2008."Latin America's leftwing swells with new Paraguay president"]
, AFP, 15 August 2008.
President
Chamber of Deputies
Senate
References
{{Paraguayan elections
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
General election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
Elections in Paraguay
Presidential elections in Paraguay
Fernando Lugo
April 2008 events in South America