The Chamber of Senators accepted the Executive’s veto on Bill No. 6963 “That modifies and expands article 332 of Law No. 834/1996 ‘That establishes the Paraguayan Electoral Code’.
The document established a fine of half a day minimum G. 49,044 for people who do not vote in the next elections. Also, the suspension of the issuance of passports and records, in addition to the suspension of regulatory benefits and conditional monetary transfers for those who do not pay that amount.
Specifically, the person who did not pay the fine, will not be able to carry out procedures in the Undersecretariat of State for Taxation (SET), if they have to travel abroad, they will not be able to carry out procedures to obtain a passport. He will also not be able to carry out procedures before the National Cadastre Service (SNC), in the Civic Registry or in the Directorate of the Motor Vehicle Registry, nor in the municipalities and governorates.
The textual argument of the Executive to veto the project was the following; “Citizens will be unable to obtain a necessary document for the exercise of civil rights. Second, the suspension of monetary benefits such as programs that benefit families immersed in poverty and extreme poverty, is unfeasible”, he commented.
ENRIQUE LAUGHS
Enrique Riera, national senator for the planning ANR, affirmed that there are many countries that propose the mandatory exercise of votes, and in them, a high participation is registered. “We are not inventing anything new. The vote is a right, a duty and an obligation, in this triple condition. A law without sanctions has no effect. The problem of our democracy is the vote by structures, and there is a great absenteeism. That is why we are governed by a minority governed by an indifferent majority”, he commented.
Stephan Rasmussen, national senator for Patria Querida (PQ), questioned that the issuance of passports and legal rights should not be included in the punishment. “The law that establishes fines exists, independent of this project. Therefore, the TSJE should ensure its compliance”, he commented.
Amado Florentín, national senator for the PLRA, maintained that we are going through a very important economic crisis, for which many young people and farm workers will not have to pay the amount.
