On Sunday morning, April 20th, Paraguayan voters were ready and in-line prior to the 7:00 am opening of the polls to participate in what was to become a historic election. On this day, Paraguayan voters ushered in a new era with the election of Fernando Lugo of the opposition Alliance for Change, who defeated Colorado Party candidate Blanca Ovelar bringing to an end her party’s 61-year monopoly on presidential power in Paraguay. Although previous elections were tainted by allegations of electoral fraud, through efforts of international election observers, including those from IFES’ Election Observation Mission, Paraguayan voters enjoyed an election largely free of fraud and violence this year.

IFES deployed a core team of electoral and technical experts to Paraguay in late February after receiving an invitation to observe this year’s general elections from Paraguay’s Tribunal Superior de Justicia Electoral (TSJE), the country’s electoral management body. IFES’ technical team, led by IFES Regional Director for the Americas Pablo Galarce, met with political party leaders, government officials, TSJE members, civil society groups and other stakeholders to assess the state of preparations for the election and the pre-electoral environment. Leading up to the elections, IFES’ Observation Team made the following recommendations to the TSJE, amongst others:

• Recognize domestic and international observers
• Allow political party representatives to be present at critical stages of the process
• Release election results in real time as they are received

Political parties and candidates refrain from claiming victory until verified by electoral authorities Led by former Colombian President, Dr. Andres Pastrana,  IFES’ observation team included international observers from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela, who arrived the week prior to election day and deployed to departments throughout Paraguay. These observers met with local officials and political party leaders in their assigned localities in the days prior to the election and observed poll operations from before opening through completion of the vote count on Election Day.

Following elections, IFES’ Observation Mission commended the Paraguayan people for a peaceful election day with high participation (more than 65%). Additionally, IFES congratulated political organizations for their contribution to a transparent election and recognized the dedication of election authorities, poll workers, civil society organizations and the Electoral Tribunal that led to this highly representative, successful election.

IFES received significant recognition from the TSJE, the media, and international community for the important role it played in bringing transparency to the April 20 elections. U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay, James C. Cason, personally thanked the IFES technical team and awarded each member the U.S. Embassy’s Medal of Honor in recognition of IFES’ contribution to the democratic process. IFES’ Observation Mission will also maintain its presence in Paraguay during the post-election stage. Upon completion of its mission, IFES will present its work to all political actors and make final recommendations aimed to solidify Paraguay’s democratic process.