The Chamber of Deputies rejected the bill “That modifies article 154 of Law No. 834/1996 ‘That establishes the Paraguayan Electoral Code’, modified by Law No. 1830/2001”.
The objective of the project is to enable the Superior Court of Electoral Justice (TSJE), to call internal and general elections, also on a Saturday and not, precisely, on a Sunday, as is established.
Martín Arévalo, of the Constitutional Affairs Commission, affirmed that the project generates many complications and therefore recommended its rejection.
“We found some shortcomings. The first is the decrease in the deadline for the registration of candidacies. The deadlines related to political financing also overlap. If it is Saturday, it could also be interpreted as a long tourist holiday that contributes to the low turnout. It also implies that schools must declare a holiday on Friday in order to prepare them. And finally, Paraguayans abroad will not be able to vote on Saturday since the holiday can only be applied in our country”, he commented.
The project returns to its chamber of origin in Deputies.
