Colorado Party (Paraguay)

The National Republican Association – Colorado Party (Spanish: Asociación Nacional Republicana – Partido Colorado, ANR-PC) is a right-wing political party in Paraguay, founded on 11 September 1887, by Bernardino Caballero. The party was defeated in 2008 after 61 years in power, but the party regained the presidency in the 2013. With almost 2 million members, it is the largest political party in the country.

National Republican Association – Colorado Party

Asociación Nacional Republicana – Partido Colorado
LeaderMario Abdo Benítez
PresidentHércules Pedro Lorenzo Alliana Rodríguez
FounderBernardino Caballero
Founded11 September 1887 (1887-09-11)
Headquarters25 de Mayo N° 842 c/ Tacuary - Asunción, Paraguay
IdeologyConservatism
National conservatism[1]
Economic liberalism
Political positionRight-wing
Regional affiliationUnion of Latin American Parties[2]
International affiliationInternational Democrat Union[3]
Colours   Red, white
Chamber of Deputies
42 / 80
Senate
17 / 45
Party flag
Website
www.anr.org.py

History

1887–1989

It initially ruled the country from 1887 until 1904. In 1946, it rejoined the government, together with the Febreristas, during Higinio Moríñigo's rule as President of Paraguay.

From 1947 until 1962, the Colorado Party ruled Paraguay as a one-party state; all other political parties were illegal.[4] In 1962, all national parties were nominally legalized; the Communist Party being deemed "international" remained illegal and its adherents repressed by the Paraguayan state. During the rule of Alfredo Stroessner all members of the armed forces and government employees were required to be members of the Colorado Party. In the late 1980s, there was a rift in the party between a hardliner faction and a traditionalist faction. This rift was primarily over the issue of Stroessner's succession and was a large contributor to the 1989 coup d'état led by General Andrés Rodríguez, himself a traditionalist.[5]

In practice, however, Paraguay remained a one-party military dictatorship until Stroessner's overthrow in 1989. It served as one of the "twin pillars" of Stroessner's 35-year rule, one of the longest in history by a non-royal leader.[6]

Since 1989

In 2002 the National Union of Ethical Citizens split from the party.

At the legislative elections of 27 April 2003, the party won 35.3% of the popular vote (37 out of 80 seats) in the Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay and 32.9% (16 out of 45 seats) in the Senate. Its candidate at the presidential elections on the same day, Nicanor Duarte, won 37.1% of the popular vote and was elected President of Paraguay.

Originally, the Colorado Party was conservative, representing those opposed to the Liberal Party.

On 20 April 2008, for the first time in 61 years, the Colorado Party lost the presidential elections to an opposition candidate from the center-left, Fernando Lugo, a Roman Catholic bishop, a first on both accounts (free election of an opposition candidate and of a bishop to the office of president in Paraguay). The Colorado Party was represented in these elections by Blanca Ovelar, the first woman to run for the presidency. Fernando Lugo, who had renounced the cloth before the elections so that he could become eligible under Paraguayan law, was formally released from his vows by the Vatican before his installation as president on 15 August 2008.

According to Antonio Soljancic, a social scientist at the Autonomous University of Asunción, "in order to get a job you had to show you were a party member. The problem Paraguay has is that, although Stroessner disappeared from the political map, he left a legacy that no one has tried to bury".[7]

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Election Party candidate Votes % Result
1953 Federico Chávez 224,788 100% Elected Y
1954 Alfredo Stroessner 236,191 100% Elected Y
1958 295,414 100% Elected Y
1963 569,551 92.3% Elected Y
1968 465,535 71.6% Elected Y
1973 681,306 84.7% Elected Y
1978 905,461 90.8% Elected Y
1983 944,637 91.0% Elected Y
1988 1,187,738 89.6% Elected Y
1989 Andrés Rodríguez 882,957 76.59% Elected Y
1993 Juan Carlos Wasmosy 449,505 41.78% Elected Y
1998 Raúl Cubas Grau 887,196 55.35% Elected Y
2003 Nicanor Duarte 574,232 38.30% Elected Y
2008 Blanca Ovelar 573,995 31.75% Lost N
2013 Horacio Cartes 1,104,169 48.48% Elected Y
2018 Mario Abdo Benítez 1,206,067 48.96% Elected Y

Vice presidential election

Election Party candidate Votes % Result
2000 Félix Argaña 587,498 48.8% Lost N

Chamber of Deputies elections

Election Votes % Seats +/–
1960
60 / 60
60
1963 569,551 92.3%
40 / 60
20
1968 465,535 71.6%
40 / 60
1973 681,306 84.7%
40 / 60
1978 905,461 90.7%
40 / 60
1983 944,637 91.0%
40 / 60
1988 1,187,738 89.6%
40 / 60
1989 845,820 74.5%
40 / 72
1993 488,342 43.4%
38 / 80
2
1998 857,473 53.8%
45 / 80
7
2003 520,761 35.3%
37 / 80
8
2008 582,932 32.96%
30 / 80
7
2013 919,625 40.99%
44 / 80
14
2018 927,183 39.10%
42 / 80
2

Senate elections

Election Votes % Seats +/–
1968
20 / 30
20
1973 681,306 84.7%
20 / 30
1978
20 / 30
1983
20 / 30
1988
20 / 30
1993 498,586 44.0%
20 / 45
1998 813,287 51.7%
24 / 45
4
2003 508,506 34.4%
16 / 45
8
2008 509,907 29.07%
15 / 45
1
2013 865,206 38.50%
19 / 45
4
2018 766,841 32.52%
17 / 45
2

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.