Cartes may win re-election wrangle in Paraguay

Significance

Efrain Alegre, president of the opposition Partido Liberal Radical Autentico (PLRA), did not attend the three-hour meeting, which agreed that the constitutional amendment allowing for presidential re-election would not be voted on in the Lower House until the negotiations conclude. It also agreed that the political dialogue would be reconvened on April 7, when former President Fernando Lugo was expected to attend. However, hours after the meeting ended, opposition politicians led by Senate President Roberto Acevedo said that they were withdrawing from the dialogue process until Cartes abandoned the planned amendment.

Impacts

• Further protests are likely as Cartes presses ahead with the re-election amendment.
• The president will benefit from deep opposition divisions.
• Constitutional change would erode the intended brakes on presidential longevity and authoritarianism.