Former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo has won Paraguay's presidential election, ending more than six decades of rule by the Colorado Party. With results declared in most polling stations, Mr Lugo has 41% of the vote. His Colorado Party rival, Blanca Ovelar, has 31% and former army chief Lino Oviedo 22%. The BBC's Gary Duffy in the capital Asuncion says many wanted a leadership change to help confront the poverty and unemployment rife in the country. Mr Lugo brought together leftist unions, indigenous people and poor farmers into a coalition to form the centre-left Patriotic Alliance for Change.
Former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo has won Paraguay's presidential election, ending more than six decades of rule by the Colorado Party.
With results declared in most polling stations, Mr Lugo has 41% of the vote.
His Colorado Party rival, Blanca Ovelar, has 31% and former army chief Lino Oviedo 22%.
The BBC's Gary Duffy in the capital Asuncion says many wanted a leadership change to help confront the poverty and unemployment rife in the country.
Mr Lugo brought together leftist unions, indigenous people and poor farmers into a coalition to form the centre-left Patriotic Alliance for Change.
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay: A former Roman Catholic bishop and self-styled champion of the poor on Sunday broke the 62-year grip on the presidency by the governing party here, the longest-serving political party in the world. The former bishop, Fernando Lugo, who resigned from the church two years ago to run, was leading with 41 percent of the vote, over Blanca Ovelar de Duarte, with 31 percent, with 92 percent of the votes counted, according to unofficial results. Shortly before 9 p.m., Ovelar, the candidate for the National Republican Association, known as the Colorado Party, conceded defeat. Lugo, 56, will be the first Paraguayan president since 1946 not to be from the Colorado Party. "Today we've written a new chapter in our nation's political history," he said late Sunday. No other country had had a political party with a longer hold on the presidency than the Colorados, as they are called, not even the Kim family's Communist dynasty in North Korea. Lugo, a gray-bearded man who exudes natural warmth and often wears sandals, was backed by the Patriotic Alliance for Change party, the country's second largest.
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay: A former Roman Catholic bishop and self-styled champion of the poor on Sunday broke the 62-year grip on the presidency by the governing party here, the longest-serving political party in the world.
The former bishop, Fernando Lugo, who resigned from the church two years ago to run, was leading with 41 percent of the vote, over Blanca Ovelar de Duarte, with 31 percent, with 92 percent of the votes counted, according to unofficial results. Shortly before 9 p.m., Ovelar, the candidate for the National Republican Association, known as the Colorado Party, conceded defeat.
Lugo, 56, will be the first Paraguayan president since 1946 not to be from the Colorado Party. "Today we've written a new chapter in our nation's political history," he said late Sunday.
No other country had had a political party with a longer hold on the presidency than the Colorados, as they are called, not even the Kim family's Communist dynasty in North Korea.
Lugo, a gray-bearded man who exudes natural warmth and often wears sandals, was backed by the Patriotic Alliance for Change party, the country's second largest.
Sounds like a person who has developed his own beliefs way beyond a religious dictatorship and should be a very positive change. Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. -Charu Saxena.
And of course I am way ahead - at least one hour! :-)
He has bought a lot of land in Paraguay.
