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Paraguay GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Government: Central government divided into three
branches: executive, legislative, and judiciary. Under provisions
of Constitution of 1967, chief executive is president of the
republic, elected by popular vote for five-year term. Within
twenty-four hours of president's resignation, death, or disability,
the legislature and an advisory body, the Council of State,
designate a provisional president. If at least two years of term
have elapsed, provisional president serves out full term. If fewer
than two years have elapsed, elections are to be held within ninety
days. Legislature consists of Senate with at least thirty members
and Chamber of Deputies with at least sixty members, plus
alternates. Members popularly elected for five-year terms that run
concurrently with presidential term. Highest court in judiciary is
Supreme Court of Justice made up of at least five members who serve
five-year terms after nomination by president and ratification by
legislature. Lower courts include appellate courts, courts of first
instance, justice of the peace courts, and military courts. Central
government exerts complete control over local administration, which
consists of nineteen departments.
Politics: On February 3, 1989, Major General Andrés
Rodríguez named provisional president after leading military coup
against President Alfredo Stroessner Mattiauda. Rodríguez easily
won a presidential election held on May 1, 1989. Military's action
consistent with Paraguay's authoritarian style of politics, a
tradition that began with dictator José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia
(ruled 1814-40) and continued in an unbroken line to Stroessner
himself, who came to power in a 1954 coup. As candidate of the
National Republican Association-Colorado Party (Asociación Nacional
Republicana-Partido Colorado), Stroessner elected to eight
consecutive terms as country's president in elections that
observers characterized as fraudulent. Beginning in mid-1980s,
Colorado Party broke into militant and traditionalist factions.
Stroessner sided with militants and purged traditionalists from
government. Rodríguez, an ally of traditionalists, expected to
purge militants. In contrast to Stroessner, Rodríguez expected to
allow all noncommunist opposition parties to compete in May 1989
elections. None, however, had an organization comparable to
Colorado Party.
International Relations: Traditionally dominated by
dependence on Argentina to ensure access to the port of Buenos
Aires. Stroessner changed course of Paraguayan foreign policy and
built close relations with Brazil. Although ties not as close since
onset of democratization in Brazil in mid-1980s, massive scale of
Brazilian investment in Paraguay precludes significant change in
relations. Relations with United States strained since early 1980s
because of United States concerns over Paraguayan corruption,
narcotics trafficking, and human rights abuses.
International Agreements and Memberships: Party to InterAmerican Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty) and Treaty
for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (Tlatelolco
Treaty). Also a member of Organization of American States, United
Nations and its specialized agencies, World Bank, International
Monetary Fund, Inter-American Development Bank, and Latin American
Integration Association.
Data as of December 1988
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