ASUNCIÓN, PARAGUAY – Paraguayan opposition lawmakers are strongly opposing attempts by the ruling Colorado Party (ANR), led by Horacio Cartes, to reform the electoral law, denouncing it as "another outrage against democracy." They specifically point out that the amendment has already passed the Chamber of Deputies and was drafted without discussion in Colorado Party (ANR) meetings, further criticizing that even the opinion of the Superior Court of Electoral Justice (TSJE) was not considered.
Opposition Declares Boycott of Extraordinary Session and Reveals Amendment Details
The Democratic Party parliamentary bloc announced that they would not attend the extraordinary session convened this Friday (June 13) to pass the electoral law amendment. Senator Esperanza Martínez stated, "The opposition will not attend this extraordinary session."
The proposed electoral law amendment contains three main points. First, it simplifies the accounting reporting procedures related to political campaign financing. Second, it shortens the candidate registration period. Third, it introduces a new provision to finalize voter rolls before internal party primaries.
"A Scheme Targeting Even Dissidents within the Colorado Party"
Senator Eduardo Nakayama warned that the amendment would "affect not only the opposition outside the Colorado Party but also non-mainstream factions within the Colorado Party." He used phrases like "they are targeting everyone" and "they are silencing the Colorado Party dissidents," implying that some factions within the Colorado Party might also boycott the extraordinary session. Senator Nakayama asserted that the amendment is a strategy to "maintain fixed votes and utilize phantom votes or 'voto calesita' (carousel voting)" in the upcoming elections.
Also present at the press conference were Senator Rubén Velázquez of the Democratic Party, Senator Yolanda Paredes of the National Crusade Party (Cruzada Nacional), and Senator Ignacio Iramain of the National Encounter Party (PEN), who inherited the seat from former Senator Kattya González.
Key Amendment Details: Simplified Accounting and Shortened Candidate Registration
The electoral law amendment includes the following major changes:
Simplified Account Opening and Accounting Reports: It simplifies procedures for opening political funding accounts and reporting, and relaxes requirements for submitting the Declaration of Economic Interests (DIEV). This has drawn criticism for potentially undermining the transparency of political financing.
Shortened Candidate Registration Period: A proposal to shorten the current 180-day candidate registration period to 90 days is being discussed. However, it is reported that this content is not yet specified in the final proposal. This provision raises concerns that it could disadvantage new or minority parties by restricting the time needed to identify and register candidates, thus favoring larger parties.
Setting Voter Roll Cut-off Date: The amendment passed by the Chamber of Deputies also includes a provision for the Electoral Justice to set a deadline for finalizing voter rolls. This could be interpreted as an attempt to prevent voter registration just before an election, thereby limiting the votes of certain demographics.
Cartismo's Strategy for the 2026 Presidential Election?
The opposition views this electoral law reform as a maneuver by former President Horacio Cartes and the forces supporting him, known as Cartismo, to secure an advantageous position ahead of the 2026 presidential election. They criticize Cartismo for arbitrarily changing electoral regulations using their majority seats, attempting to consolidate their power. The act of unilaterally pushing the bill without even consulting the Superior Court of Electoral Justice is seen as disregarding democratic procedures. This controversy is significantly heightening tensions within Paraguayan politics and is expected to greatly influence the future electoral environment.
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