Upcoming elections in Paraguay
By: V-Dem Staff
Apr 18, 2018
The Paraguayan general elections are scheduled for 22 April. Leo Rubin, vice presidential candidate for the opposition alliance GANAR, handed a letter to the OAS General Secretary. In the letter, Mr. Rubin requested urgent intervention by the OAS to ensure the preservation of national institutions 'weakened by political figures thirsty for power'.
This week's graph analyzes the capacity and autonomy of Paraguay’s Election Management Body (EMB). V-Dem's indicator on EMB autonomy measures to what extent the body is free from governmental influence to act impartially. It ranges from zero to four, with the highest score reflecting an autonomous and impartial body. Whether the EMB has sufficient staff and resources to operate is captured by the capacity indicator, which ranges on the same scale, with the highest score indicative of a high degree of competence in administering well-run elections.
The graph shows a steady strengthening of the election management body in Paraguay ever since the end of Alfredo Stroessner's repressive regime and democratization in 1989. The country scores at a level reflective of low levels of de factoinfluence by the government. Over the years, the capacity of the EMB has improved, yet still has as a partial deficit in resources. The GANAR alliance's letter complained of the exclusion of Frente Guasu (a progressive party ranking third on the polls) from the civic boards to which members of political parties are appointed by the electoral authorities to supervise the election process.
If you want to learn more about the upcoming elections in Paraguay visit our website v-dem.net.
