Paraguay ruling party presidential candidate leads as vote count starts By Reuters

Written by Lucinda Elliott and Daniela DeSantis

ASUNCION (Reuters) – Paraguay’s ruling party candidate Santiago Pena led his centre-left rival, Efren Alegre, by 46 percent to 29 percent, after a quarter of the votes were counted on Sunday night.

Sunday’s race was widely expected to be a tough electoral challenge for the Colorado party, as corruption dominates debates and the country’s longstanding ties with Taiwan.

Polling stations officially closed at 4 pm (2000 GMT), but long lines and delays meant some polling stations remained open.

“Throughout the day we noticed high levels of participation,” said an observer from the Organization of American States (OAS) electoral mission. Polling stations remain full.

In addition to the one-round winner-takes-all presidential race, voters were also electing congressmen and governors in the nation of fewer than 7 million people. The first results are expected from around 7 pm (2300 GMT).

At the Mariscal Francisco Solano López School in the capital, Asuncion, Ramona Odone was one of the first contestants to cast her vote: “Look at all the young people participating – it shows that people want change,” the 79-year-old retired teacher told Reuters. “They need jobs and I need a better pension.”

Eugenio Centurion, 65, said his loyalty was firmly with the continuity candidate, Pena. “One Colorado has always been in Colorado,” the analysts said, speaking outside the local polling station in Jara, Asuncion, where dry weather conditions can favor a high turnout. He said: “You cannot betray someone of your (partisan) color.”

Maria Jose Rodas, a 34-year-old mother of three, was hesitant. I’m worried about crime. “All candidates are the same for me… nothing will change,” she said when a busload of voters arrived at the inner-city polling station.

The Colorado Party has dominated politics in the landlocked South American nation since the 1950s and has ruled it for all but five of the past 75 years. But her popularity has been hurt by a slowing economy and allegations of graft.

Before casting his vote in the capital, Pena reiterated that the party would admit defeat. “No one can question our democratic credentials, not me as a candidate or my party,” he told reporters on Sunday. “We are convinced that we are the best option… We have complete faith in electoral justice.”

The economy, allegations of corruption, and the candidates’ views on Taiwan dominated the run-up to the election. Paraguay is one of only 13 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with the democratically ruled island that China considers its territory.

Allegri criticized those ties, which have made it difficult to sell soybeans and beef to China, a major global buyer, and said the country’s agriculture-driven economy was not getting enough of Taipei.

Bina said he will maintain relations with Taiwan.

On Sunday, Allegri warned against reports of voter obstruction in the north of the country and said he would not “give in” to attempts to prevent citizen participation.

“So far, all reports are positive and the operation is proceeding without any difficulties,” he told local media.

In recent campaign events, Alegre has taken aim at corruption allegations that have dogged Colorado Party leader Horacio Cartes, the former president who was sanctioned by US sanctions in January. Alegre called him “Pablo Escobar of Paraguay,” a reference to the notorious Colombian drug trafficker who was murdered in 1993.

Cartesi denies the allegations.

Pena acknowledged partisan divisions in his campaign closing speech and promised to be a “symbol of party unity”.

Fiorella Moreno, 23, who sells ice cream, felt none of the candidates offered hope to her generation.

“I didn’t want to vote, I feel like everything is in decline,” she said. “But not voting makes me part of the problem.”