Church in the World

Former bishop leads in fight for presidency

Paraguay

A former bishop has emerged as Paraguay's most popular candidate in tomorrow's presidential elections, according to opinion polls. In the last poll to be published before tomorrow's presidential and parliamentary elections, 34.5 per cent said that they would vote for Bishop Emeritus of San Pedro, Fernando Lugo Méndez, as against 28.5 per cent for Blanca Ovelar, the candidate of the ruling Colorado Party, which has been in power for more than 60 years.

But 41 per cent said they thought that Ms Ovelar would win, as against 36 per cent who thought Lugo would win. There are fears of electoral fraud - buying votes, hiring identity cards and bribing election officials - which is claimed to be at its most rampant since the 35-year-dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-89), who won elections with massive majorities.

Lugo, 58, remains the most popular candidate because, it seems, people believe he is honest and caring, and see this as the most realistic opportunity Paraguay has had to become a more democratic nation. Most opposition parties have united into an Alianza in support of his candidature. The former bishop was threatened with canonical sanctions by the Vatican in 2006 when he resigned from his episcopal post to run for president.

Lugo has declared, "We are not going to be afraid of those who insult us and speak calumny against us."

Meanwhile, President Nicanor Duarte Frutos has said journalists should get ready to "swallow the vomit" that they had spewed over his party, "because Blanca Ovelar is going to win on 20 April".

Blanca Ovelar is a low-profile candidate promoted by President Nicanor, who wanted to stand again but was barred by the constitution. Many Colorado party members are said to be disillusioned, believing that the internal party elections that secured Ms Ovelar's candidacy were rigged, and in their anger may well vote for a third contender, Lino Oviedo, who used to be a Colorado party member before founding his own party, Unace. He is neck and neck with Ms Ovelar in the polls.

A populist demagogue, "Lino O" is either regarded as the saviour of the nation or as a potential dictator. Suspected of murder and convicted of a 1996 coup attempt, he was released from prison last September in an apparent bid to divide the opposition vote and avert the victory of Lugo. At the time of Mr Oviedo's release President Nicanor denied being involved in the decision, but on 6 April, apparently caught off-guard, he was quoted as saying, "I facilitated his liberty so he could compete."