Weekly Report - 11 November 2003

The lower chamber of Paraguay's congress has begun to hear the impeachment charges against four members of the supreme court (two of the six originally indicted chose to resign). The proceedings have already been tarnished by the claim that a bribe had been offered to vote against the impeachment of two of the four, Carlos Fernández Gadea and Felipe Santiago Paredes. Congressman Julio Colmán, of the ruling Colorado party, has accused fellow legislator Gustavo Mussi, of the Partido Uni ¢n Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos (Punace, the party led from exile by former General Lino Oviedo) of offering him US$5,000 to swing his vote.