Development: On 9 October an overwhelming majority of the Paraguayan electorate that participated in the national referendum supported the initiative to give Paraguayans living overseas the right to vote.
Significance: The referendum was only the second to be held in 70 years and the first since the country’s return to democracy in 1993. With 92.01% of votes tallied, the “Yes” option had received 77.82% support. Despite the extremely low turnout – only 12.54% of the 3.03m eligible voters participated – the result is binding; according to article 290 of the constitution “if the result of the latter’s [referendum] outcome is affirmative, the amendment is sanctioned and promulgated, [and will be] included in the constitutional text”. This will enable 722,155 Paraguayans residing abroad to participate in elections to choose the president, vice-president, senators and members of the Parlasur –the parliament of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).
Key points:
• Paraguay has thus joined Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela, the other South American nations that allow the vote of nationals residing overseas.
• Argentina has the largest Paraguayan community abroad, with 550,713 registered residents; the Coordinadora Tricolor po el Sí de la Argentina, a movement of Paraguayans in Argentina lobbying for the approval of the referendum, has announced it plans to compete in the 2013 elections.
• Paraguayans abroad will be able to compete for a seat in the senate, but another constitutional reform which creates an ‘overseas electoral district’ would have to take place before they can seek representation in the lower chamber.
• Paraguay’s electoral authority has already requested more funds in the next budget to be able to prepare consulates overseas for the 2013 vote. The possibility of implementing a postal vote or vote via the internet is also being considered, but this would require the reform of existing electoral laws.
