Legal system:
based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial
review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August
2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August
2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 27
April 2003 (next to be held April 2008)
election results: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS elected president; percent
of vote - Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS 37.1%, Julio Cesar Ramon FRANCO
Gomez 23.9%, Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella 21.3%, Guillermo
SANCHEZ Guffanti 13.5%, other 4.2%
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 27 April 2003 (next to be
held April 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003
(next to be held April 2008)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - ANR 16, PLRA 12, UNACE 7, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- ANR 37, PLRA 21, UNACE 10, PQ 10, PPS 2
note: as of January 2006, changes in party affiliation has led to
the composition of the legislature as follows: Chamber of Senators -
seats by party - ANR 18, PLRA 12, UNACE 5, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1;
Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - ANR 39, PLRA 21, UNACE 8, PQ
10, PPS 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges
appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates or Consejo
de la Magistratura)
Political parties and leaders:
Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Herminio
CACERES, interim president]; Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos
Eticos or UNACE [Enrique GONZALEZ Quintana, acting chairman]; Patria
Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PQ [Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL
Niella]; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Luis TORALES Kennedy];
Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Blas LLANO]; Partido Pais
Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares]
note: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS on leave as party leader of the Colorado
Party or ANR while serving as President of Paraguay; Lino Cesar
OVIEDO Silva, leader of UNACE, is currently serving a ten-year
prison term
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board of
Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO]; National Federation
of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central or
CNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan Workers
Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central
or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo]
International organization participation:
CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA,
MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James SPALDING Hellmers
chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962
FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508
consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Ambassador James C. CASON
embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion
mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001
telephone: [595] (21) 213-715
FAX: [595] (21) 213-728