The president of Paraguay's National Congress, Senator Basilio 'Bachi' Núñez (Colorado Party, ANR), declared this Tuesday (19) that the country should move toward adopting a runoff system for presidential elections, but insisted that presidential reelection also needs to be debated. In an interview with ABC Cardinal, Núñez stated that 'at some point' runoff will be implemented, but that the necessary constitutional reform must include the possibility of reelection for president and governors.
'We have to reward those who do a good job, like mayors who can be reelected. Why not governors? Why not presidents?' the senator questioned, noting that Paraguay is the only country in South America without presidential reelection. The change would require an amendment to the National Constitution, an issue that sparked a major crisis in 2017, when then-President Horacio Cartes attempted to pass a reelection amendment but backed down after protests were suppressed.
Núñez also announced the drafting of a bill to modify the system of unblocked electoral lists, creating a 'double unblocking' that would allow voters to choose up to two candidates within the same list, instead of just one. According to him, the measure would increase internal competition within parties and give 'more options to citizens.' The text should be ready in ten days, with collaboration from electoral law experts.
The senator criticized sectors of the opposition, such as Senator Celeste Amarilla (Liberal Party, PLRA), who would advocate for a return to closed lists and paper ballot voting. 'Congress, in general, defends unblocking. With a closed list, the party leadership is elected behind closed doors and those from the interior don't get in,' he argued.
Regarding the request by dissident factions of the Colorado Party for a new audit of the voting machines used in the June internal elections and the October municipal elections, Núñez said he does not oppose it, but warned that electoral deadlines are 'peremptory and non-extendable.' An extension, according to him, would mean the suspension of the internal elections scheduled for June 7, which 'undermines democracy.'