Latinnews Daily - 22 December 2006

Significance: Lugo's decision will allow him to run for the presidency in 2008. His announcement came on the same day Duarte admitted in a radio interview that congress was unlikely to accept his proposed constitutional amendment which would allow him to run for re-election. A survey produced by the Centro de Información y Recursos para el Desarrollo (CIRD) showed that 67% of the population were opposed to presidential re-election. Although Duarte's Partido Colorado (PC) has a majority in both chambers of congress, senators from within the PC itself have expressed their reservations about allowing presidential re-election.

Since 1994 Lugo was bishop of San Pedro Apóstol, one of Paraguay's poorest and most inaccessible dioceses. In 2006 he became chairman of Resistencia Ciudadana, an NGO that looks to "promote political change that will principally yield a better economic outlook for the country". In March 2006 the bishop led a demonstration of thousands who gathered outside congress to protest against Duarte's brief, but illegal, tenure of two jobs simultaneously. In June he was asked to chair a broad social and political opposition front by the leader of the opposition Patria Querida Party, Pedro Fadul.

Fadul's proposal eventually resulted in the creation of the Concertación Nacional (CN), which brings together the main opposition party, the Partido Liberal (PLRA), the Patria Querida, Unión Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos, Encuentro Nacional and Paí­s Solidario, all of whom are determined to end 61 years of uninterrupted rule by the Partido Colorado. On 17 December a new political movement called Tekojoja (Union and Equality in Guarani) also joined the CN. Lugo, who had sought papal dispensation to allow him to run as the head of the CN, decided on 21 December to follow Duarte's mocking challenge to "throw in the cassock" when he handed in his official resignation letter to the Apostolic Nunciate in Asunción . He has yet to speak to the press since making his decision.

It is unclear how long the alliance, which also incorporates around 30 social and labour organisations including the Central Nacional de Trabajadores, can present a united front. Early signals don't look promising; each of the member parties put forward their own candidate to run on 19 November for the mayoralty of Asunción , leaving the Colorado candidate in a very strong position. Due to his popularity Lugo is seen as one of the few leaders capable of keeping the coalition together. Back in September, when Duarte looked more likely to be competing in 2008, an opinion poll put Lugo almost fifteen points ahead of the incumbent.

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