The opposition candidate Efraín Alegre, the second most voted in the Paraguayan general elections, on Monday called for the manual counting of votes and an international audit of the electronic voting system due to allegations of irregularities that have multiplied in recent hours.
Alegre made his announcement while in different parts of the country there were protests encouraged by the other opposition candidate, Paraguayan “Payo” Cubas, of the National Crusade Party, who urged the population to rebel against an alleged fraud in the victory of the ruling Colorado Party.
“Given the numerous complaints filed in relation to yesterday’s (Sunday) elections, we demand that the TSJE (Superior Court of Electoral Justice) immediately carry out the manual count of 10% of the randomly chosen tables in each electoral college throughout the country,” Alegre said on Twitter.
It also demanded that “an independent international audit of the software of the computer system used for the elections be contracted immediately.”
The Colorado Party extended its hegemony in power for another five years thanks to the victory of its candidate Santiago Peña, who took 42.74% of the votes compared to 27.48% for Alegre, from the opposition Concertación para un Nuevo Paraguay , according to the official count.
In Paraguay there is no second round and the candidate with the most votes prevails. For the first time, voting was done at the national level with electronic machines.
That same Sunday, Alegre acknowledged defeat and did not denounce fraud. But a day later he changed his mind after several hundred supporters of Payo Cubas, the third most voted with 22% of the vote, surrounded the headquarters of the electoral tribunal and demanded that the elections be annulled. Several protesters clashed with the police.
“It is impossible from my modest point of view that a jaded population has given victory to these drug traffickers,” Payo Cubas declared in a television interview, pointing to the ruling party. “I will resist these usurpers; There will be new elections here.”
In several cities of the country, supporters of Payo Cubas also blocked roads.
The electoral court carries out a manual count of the voting records of each table before officially consecrating Peña as president-elect.
The Organization of American States, OAS, which sent a mission of observers to the elections, requested that “all complaints and disagreements about the electoral process be processed through institutional channels in accordance with the law and in a peaceful manner.”
On the other hand, the government of outgoing President Mario Abdo Benítez urged opposition candidates to show restraint to maintain social peace.
“I call for sanity; electoral justice is doing its job. It is important to respect that and wait,” said Interior Minister Federico González. “This call does not make sense. Mr. Payo Cubas, understand that a very important moment is taking place, the procedure is being followed. Citizens must be respected.”
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