The election campaign for the October municipal elections has once again overshadowed legislative duties in Paraguay. This week, the Chamber of Deputies failed to reach a quorum to hold a session, leaving nearly twenty bills stalled — including the creation of the National Care System, changes to the universal pension for the elderly, judicial reforms, land regularization, and a controversial proposal that would automatically end child support payments when children turn 18.
The absence of lawmakers was attributed to the schedule of simultaneous party primaries, which will determine the candidates for mayors and councilors for the October elections. The Electoral Justice system authorized 4,661,047 citizens to vote this Sunday at 12,983 polling stations. The National Republican Association (ANR) holds the largest electorate, with 2,804,550 members spread across 8,018 polling stations in 481 voting locations, followed by the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), with 1,531,856 members. The National Union of Ethical Citizens Party (Unace), with 102,958 eligible voters; Yo Creo, with 35,987; País Solidario Party, with 21,159; and National Encounter Party, with 21,461, will also hold primaries.
In addition to selecting municipal candidates, the PLRA, National Encounter Party, Patria Querida Party, National Crusade, Hagamos Party, and six other organizations will also elect their internal party authorities.
One of the bills that was not debated was authored by Colorado Party deputy Hugo Meza, which proposes tougher penalties against cattle rustling. The proposal seeks to reclassify cattle theft as a crime — no longer a simple offense — increasing the penalty to 10 to 15 years in prison. However, the bill faced resistance within the Chamber itself: one fellow lawmaker argued that the proposal addresses "the symptom, not the cause," while another questioned equating the punishment for cattle theft with penalties for serious crimes against persons. Ironically, the bill's own author, Hugo Meza, did not attend the session where the matter was to be discussed.
The priority given to the electoral calendar is also evident in the urban landscape of Asunción. Just days before the primaries, utility poles of the National Electricity Administration (ANDE) were covered with electoral propaganda, violating municipal ordinances 157/18 and 349/21, which prohibit posting signs on street furniture and only allow the use of banners under specific circumstances. The violation is considered a serious offense and can result in fines of up to 300 minimum daily wages. These regulations exist precisely to prevent visual pollution, deterioration of street furniture, and damage to public infrastructure during election periods.