Unlike previous years, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) now have almost no critical reaction to the politicization of state resources in the current electoral contest. The Government of Mario Acto announced the extra payment of Tekopora and the pro-government candidates promised a bonus of G. 1,500,000 for MEC officials, on the eve of the party inmates.
Marta Ferrara, executive director of Seeds for Democracywas consulted on Universo / Nación Media radio about how they observe in the sector the announcements made by the Government regarding gifts and plus (Tekopora) by the end of the year, with the intention of being a apparent disguised buying of votes.
In this regard, the interviewee acknowledged that since your organization is not working on monitoring the use of public assets in campaigns during this electoral processbut rather are dedicated to political financing.
“I think that (use of state assets in campaign) is part of the prebendary structurewhich has had the same political party in power for almost 70 years, with one brief exception. It is a common practice within the Colorado Party that it has been carried out in different ways, perhaps now less sophisticated”, he indicated.
Read more: Where will Tekoporâ’s extra payment come from?: “There is no figure of a plus”
Ferrara pointed out that this type of action in politics ends up affecting the quality of democracy itself.
Asked about the lack of questioning from the NGOs towards the current prebendaryism of the Government on duty, she replied that “It’s like the use of public goods has been normalized” and added that civil society has been dismantled and stopped receiving funding, in addition to community radio stations being persecuted. “The critical capacity of society was annulled and the prebend was normalized as a survival resource. A the Paraguayan elite doesn’t care as long as they continue to enjoy the status quo. The same happens with the media, the attitude is not to disturb to continue receiving the privileges and that everything stays the same”, he said.
THE PROMISE TO MEC OFFICIALS
Days ago, the vice-presidential candidate Juan Manuel Brunetti deluded the MEC officials with a salary bonus, in the case of winning the December elections.
#INFO ➕#JuanManuelBrunetti he excited MEC officials with a salary plus, in the case of winning the elections ???. #InfoNM
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?️ @WilliamGrance @martidiazm @BenjaLivieres pic.twitter.com/GFHxaCp28z— SomosGENAhora (@SomosGENAhora) November 21, 2022