note: President Luis GONZALEZ MACCHI, formerly president of the Chamber of Senators, constitutionally succeeded President Raul CUBAS Grau, who resigned after being impeached soon after the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria ARGANA; the successor to ARGANA was decided in an election held in August 2000

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 10 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003); Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003)

election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - Colorado Party 25, PLRA 13, PEN 7; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Colorado
Party 45, PLRA 26, PEN 9

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de
Justicia (judges appointed on the proposal of the Counsel of
Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura)

Political parties and leaders: Authentic Radical Liberal Party or
PLRA [Miguel Abdon SAGUIER]; Christian Democratic Party or PDC
[Adalina GUITERREZ DE GALEANO]; Febrerista Revolutionary Party or
PRF [Carlos Maria LJUBETIC]; National Encounter or PEN [Euclides
ACEVEDO]; National Republican Association - Colorado Party [acting
president Bader RACHID LICHI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Ahorristas Estafados or AE;
National Workers Central or CNT; Paraguayan Workers Confederation or
CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central or CUT

International organization participation: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Leila RACHID

chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008