REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 10 MAY 1998 ========================================================= Source: IFES website Parties --------------------------------------------------------- * ANR-PC (Asociacion Nacional Republicana-Partido Colorado) Republican National Alliance-Red Party * PLRA-EN (Partido Liberal Radical Autentico-Encuentro Nacional) Authentic Radical Liberal Party-National Agreement NATIONAL SUMMARY ========================================================= Entrolled voters: 2,049,449 Votes cast: 1,650,725 (80.5%) Blank and invalid: 47,819 (02.9%) --------------------------------------------------------- Candidate Party Votes % --------------------------------------------------------- Raul Alberto CUBAS GRAU ANR-PC 887,196 55.3 Domingo I Laino Figueredo PLRA-EN 703,379 43.9 Others 12,331 00.8 --------------------------------------------------------- Total 1,602,906 --------------------------------------------------------- Amnesty International comments on subsequent events in Paraguay: "President Raúl Cubas Grau resigned following public outrage at the assassination of Vice-President Luis María Argaña and the killing of at least seven demonstrators in March [1999]. Luis Ángel González Macchi was sworn in as President at the head of a coalition government. The institutional crisis which culminated in the March events dated from 1998 when an extraordinary military court sentenced former army commander and presidential candidate Lino Oviedo to 10 years' imprisonment for an attempted coup in 1996. The presidential elections were won by Lino Oviedo's vice-presidential running mate, Raúl Cubas, who immediately ordered Lino Oviedo's release. However, the Supreme Court ruled this action unconstitutional and ordered Lino Oviedo's rearrest; President Cubas refused to comply with the ruling. A coalition of opposition parties and a section of the ruling Colorado Party, headed by Vice-President Argaña, initiated impeachment proceedings against President Cubas. In early 1999 the political climate rapidly deteriorated as preparation of these proceedings progressed. There were numerous reports that Lino Oviedo was planning to seize power by force. On 23 March Vice-President Argaña and his bodyguard were shot and killed by gunmen in Asunción. In the ensuing crisis, the congressional impeachment hearing against President Cubas was brought forward. On 26 and 27 March supporters of Lino Oviedo, who were seeking to prevent the impeachment hearing, opened fire on people demonstrating in support of Congress and calling for the resignation of President Cubas. At least seven demonstrators were killed and more than 100 others injured. There were eyewitness accounts that police officers assisted the attackers and that some police officers fired on protesters. President Cubas resigned and fled to Brazil. Lino Oviedo, who was accused of ordering the violence, sought asylum in Argentina. In December Lino Oviedo went into hiding when the new Argentine government promised to revoke his asylum status.