Skip to main content

Paraguay congress set on fire amid presidential controversy

Demonstrators in Paraguay have set fire to the country's Congress amid violent protests against a bill that would let the president seek re-election.
Protesters stormed the legislature, breaking windows and fences.
The country's 1992 constitution, introduced after 35 years of dictatorship, strictly limits the president to a single five-year term.
But sitting President Horactio Cartes is attempting to remove the restriction and run for re-election.
Protesters were photographed setting fire to barricades in the streets of Asuncion, near the congress building, on Friday night.
The AFP news agency said the protesters had managed to break into the building and "ransacked" the offices of those who backed the bill, setting several Police used rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Earlier, the crowd took to the streets following a private meeting of senators, which approved a bill to amend the constitution.
The bill must also be approved by the other house of parliament - the chamber of deputies - where President Cartes' party holds a majority.
The chamber's president, Hugo Velázquez, told ABC Color (in Spanish) that the sitting planned for the following morning would no longer take place and no decision would be made on Saturday.
He urged people to stay calm.
Opponents say the bill will weaken the country's democratic institutions.

Policeman aims a weapon during a demonstration against a possible change in the law to allow for presidential re-election in front of the Congress building in Asuncion, Paraguay, March 31, 2017

i





Paraguay was controlled by dictator General Alfredo Stroessner, who seized power in a coup, from 1954 until 1989.
The new constitution in 1992 created the modern government, but there has been a long period of political instability and party infighting, as well as a failed coup attempt.
President Cartes' term is due to end in 2018.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE 1 . INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FOR SUCCESS

"If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success."  James Cameron "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."  Henry David Thoreau "Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out."  John Wooden "Entrepreneurs average 3.8 failures before final success. What sets the successful ones apart is their amazing persistence."  Lisa M. Amos "If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary."  Jim Rohn "Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life--think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success."  Swami Vivekananda "Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion."  Tony Hsieh "All our dreams can come true if we have th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nigerians Lose Job As Ecobank Shuts Down 74 Branches

Ecobank Nigeria has shut down about 74 of its 479 branches. The bank says it will deploy staff from the merged branches to other projects but failed to touch on reports that the bank had terminated the appointment of about 50 top personnel staff.  A statement by the bank reaffirmed its commitment to digital transformation, which would enable customers carry out banking activities online, thereby reducing the need to visit physical locations. Charles Kie, the managing director, said the bank hopes to shift its activities to digital channels and improve customers’ experience at reduced cost. This, he said, also supports the bank’s financial inclusion strategy and the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.   Kie said the bank has enhanced its retail internet banking platform with the Ecobank mobile app that enables customers to do instant payments; open accounts, as well as do instant transfers across 33 countries in Africa. “After a detailed analysis of the physical net...
Post a Comment
Read more