UNASUR: vote buying and exclusion of the left in Paraguay

[Catherina]

April 21 (Prensa Latina) An incident report by UNASUR's Electoral Observation Mission on the elections in Paraguay, records allegations of vote buying and the exclusion of Guasú Front ads from being broadcast.

Although UNASUR's final report on Paraguayan elections won't be out until Monday, this first analysis notes the Guasu Front's protest against Channel 9 Public Television for refusing to broadcast a spot for them.

...

Also highlighted is news about the existence of practices that could influence or unduly affect the vote such as the case involving the Senator from the Colorado Party, Silvio Ovelar, for buying votes to prevent the Liberals from rising in the polls.


Related stories:

Fernando Lugo voted in the Paraguayan elections and noted the exclusion of Guasú Front
Paraguay: Serious accusations against Horacio Cartes, leading in the polls
Paraguay: Liberal candidate target of strong accusations about his role in the parliamentary coup

http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1333131&Itemid=11

[Catherina]

1. Ballots destroyed in barrio Pelopincho

The surveyor Emilio Fuster showed up at the Ramón Dahlquist School, located in the neighborhood of Pelopincho de Asunción, to corroborate the accusation about the destruction of ballot papers by one of the members of a polling place.

The accusation was presented by the procurator of the ANR, Sixto López Delgado, who said that the procurator of Frente Guazú, Gustavo Adolfo Noguera, destroyed the ballot papers; the incident would have happened around 10 a.m.

The surveyor Emilio Fúster ordered the apprehension of the destroyed papers and, later, Norma Aquino, logistic assistant of the place, handed in the papers initialed by the election monitors.

The incident happened at table n. 20, whose president is Ernesto Lezcano García, and the election monitors are Sonia Beatriz Salinas and Gladys Melgarejo; as informed by the the Inspection authorities.

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En el colegio Ramón Dahlquist, ubicado en el barrio Pelopincho de Asunción, se hizo presente el fiscal Emilio Fuster para corroborar la denuncia sobre la destrucción de boletines de votación por parte de uno de los integrantes de una de las mesas del local de votación.

La denuncia fue presentada por el apoderado de la ANR, Sixto López Delgado, quien manifestó que el apoderado del Frente Guazú, Gustavo Adolfo Noguera, destruyó boletines de voto; hecho que se registró alrededor de las 10.00 de la mañana.

El fiscal Emilio Fúster procedió a la incautación de los boletines destruidos y posteriormente Norma Aquino, asistente de logística del local, hizo entrega de los boletines rubricados por los vocales.

El incidente se presentó en la mesa Nº 20, cuyo presidente es Ernesto Lezcano García y los vocales son: Sonia Beatriz Salinas y Gladys Melgarejo; según informo la Fiscalía.

http://www.paraguay.com/nacionales/destruyen-boletines-en-barrio-pelopincho-93238

[ocpagu]

2. What a shame.

The outcome of the election is exactly like it was predicted: the return of the conservatives who have been screwing up the country during decades, the supression/censorship of the left (which started even before the "white coup" against Lugo), and the electoral fraud, which is already a tradition in Paraguay. Absolutely nothing to celebrate.

I hope UNASUR will confirm the suspension of Paraguay until their domestic political system shows a minimum of sanity.

[Dawson Leery]

3. Agreed.

[Bacchus4.0]

5. that would be a slap in the face to all Paraguayans

UNASUR doesn't get to decide which president is "proper" to represent their country. Paraguayans do. Anyway, if there are problems with the election then a recount should be undertaken. I am certain you'd support that.

[joshcryer]

6. The outcome proves that votes can be bought.

Now, from a libertarian socialist point of view, it's not terribly different if it's cash or "stuff." It's when the cash and "stuff" somehow coincidentally gets issued right around the time people should be going to the polls where things get shitty.

I agree with you about UNASUR. Latin American cronyism is a bane to progress. It would be crony to the core to not respect the vote, even if the people did get paid off to vote a certain way. Given the fingerprint machines in Venezuela didn't do any actual checking, that could've happened in Venezuela too.

[Bacchus4.0]

7. Paraguay is only the latest to engage in vote buying

I recall giving away washing machines and apartments among other things in a fairly recent latin american election. I don't know much about Paraguayan politics other than Colorado is the Paraguayan version of the PRI. I had not heard of the winner until today.

[msongs]

4. the winner is the same guy who'd rather shoot off his gonads than have a gay marriage in his

family?

[ocpagu]

8. Yep.

That's him. He's also involved with drug traffick, smuggling and money laundering.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Right-wing posters at DU's LA forum who have screeched their lungs out

about another politician they insist is a "homophobe" have been as quiet as church mice concerning this loud mouthed homophobic a-hole. Cat's got their forked little tongues, apparently.

[Bacchus4.0]

10. he sounds just like Maduro doesn't he? n/t

s

[naaman fletcher]

11. Either that,

or the poster is not right-wing, and doesn't comment on Paraguay because we are all on the same side and there is nothing really to comment about.

[joshcryer]

12. Precisely.

We agree. In fact, it seems only that they're concerned about homophobic statements when it comes from a right winger.