Concerns that Paraguay might sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China have been allayed by the victory of a conservative politician in the country’s presidential election.
Sunday, the ruling party of president-elect Santiago Pea won a majority in the Senate and at least 15 of the 17 disputed governorates, according to the official provisional tally.
According to the Superior Court of Electoral Justice (TSJE), Pea received 42.9% of the vote while his opponent, Efran Alegre of the center-left Concertacion coalition, received 27.5%.
Alegre had argued for a diplomatic shift to China. Concerns about the country severing ties with Taiwan were substantially alleviated by the outcome.
Paraguay’s conservative candidate, who supports Taiwan, has won the presidency.
In a speech to supporters in Asunción, the 44-year-old Pea made an impassioned appeal for “unity and consensus” to achieve “our destiny of collective well-being and prosperity without exclusions.”
“The time has come to put our differences on hold and prioritize the national causes that unite us.”
The economist stated, “Starting tomorrow, we will begin to design the Paraguay that we all want, without gross inequalities or unfair social asymmetries.”
Pea will succeed Mario Abdo Bentez, also of the Colorado Party, as president.
After seven decades, the ruling party has now consolidated its authority.
After conceding defeat, Alegre said his “fight continues.”
“Clearly, there is a great deal of hope for change in Paraguay, as evidenced by the vote, and this calls for a project that can unite all efforts,” he said.
The candidate of the opposition, for whom some polls had predicted a victory over Pea, commended voters, including those who chose continuity. “That is democracy.”
The vote, in which nearly 4.8 million out of 7.5 million eligible citizens voted for senators, deputies, governors, and councilors, gave the Colorado Party a 43.75 percent majority in the Upper House.
In the election of governors, the party easily gained 15 of the 17 departments up for election. EFE