Failed Democracy In Paraguay: Open Letter To The OAS
A group of Paraguayan citizens, held a peaceful political rally on Saturday, October 29 at the ‘Democracy Plaza’ in downtown Asuncion, the Capital City of Paraguay to express their frustration and concerns as the Paraguayan National Congress has violated the legitimate voting rights for the Colorado Party Senator candidate, Mr. Horacio Cartes, who received over 800 thousand votes for his candidacy, on last April 22,. Election Day.
So far, the Paraguayan Congress is still not allowing the legitimately elected National Senator Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara to assume his position as ‘Active National Senator’. The obstacle inflicted by National Congress is not allowing the legal needed quorum for Mr. Cartes to Swear In, as an Active Senator. Such illegal act we consider to be a serious deteriorating and anti-democratic act of ‘Parliamentary Tyranny’ established by Communist and leftist Senators connected to national and international guerrilla groups.
Through this note, this citizen group is requesting the Paraguayan Senate Chamber to stop any further obstaculizing act and ALLOW the elected Senator Horacio Cartes Jara, to Swear as an ‘Active Senator’ to comply in Accordance to Sentence N° 17/2018 of the Supreme Electoral Justice Court, which provides the final official voting results that proclaim the elected national authorities of the last April 22nd – 2018 General elections.
The ‘Parliamentary Tyranny’ of the current Paraguayan Congress is kidnapping the power that belong exclusively to the Supreme Court which in this case is the Supreme Court and the Supreme Electoral Justice Court, both have issued legitimate Resolutions backed by 800.000 citizens who voted, which endows and enable Senator Horacio Cartes, his right to Swear In as an ‘Active Senator. This is an evident flagrant Illegal violation of the human — political rights of the citizens’ votes that are manipulated by the Paraguayan Congress compromising the still weaker Democracy of Paraguay.
Shall this political storm led by citizens that has been put up since last June, they will promote actions with international institutions to request correcting measures in order to redeem and ensure reinstatement of the rights of over 800.000 citizens who have voted for Mr. Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara.
Respectfully,
*Gloria Barrios, Constitutional Lawyer, Consultant in International Law & Human Rights – Democracy & Environmental Issues, [email protected]
*Founder of this CIVIC MOVEMENT’ states that the RIGHT TO VOTE is a HUMAN CIVIL as well as POLITICAL RIGHT that ‘sustains the ‘essence of DEMOCRACY’ and the People’s Freedom that are currently being VIOLATED by the Paraguayan Chamber of Senators. Barrios is a Law Advisor to the ‘Paraguayan Economic Forum’
Hahahaha … Nice open letter .. but you forgot to mention that Horacio Cartes was the sitting President 2013 to 2018 and that he was President during the elections and afterwards until the handover of power to Mario Abdo August 2018.
Horacio Cartes couldnt swear in as a senator with the other senators as he was still President when they swore in in July 2018, and you can’t be President and a Senator at the same time.
The Paraguayan constitution also says that all ex Presidents are automatically Senators for life who can observe the Senate but not vote. Again, Cartes cannot be both an active Senator and a Senator for life.
Finally, this is not the first time this has happened. In 2008 ex Presidente Nicanor tried to the same, be elected Senator while still President and this was rejected.
Nicanor did the same thing thing this year and his taking a Senate seat was also rejected.
Finally Horacio Cartes did not receive 800 000 votes . . For the Paraguayan Senate voters vote for political party lists, not individuals, no one voted directly for Cartes, they voted for the party he belongs to.
Regarding communists and left wingers, the Colorado party of Cartes has a majority in the Senate,, with the centre right PLRA having almost the same number of seats, forming an absolute majority. No communist party has a seat, and the left Frente Guazu only has 6 seats.