At stake in this election:

• 45 seats in the Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Luis Angel GONZALEZ MACCHI *
• Head of Government: President Luis Angel GONZALEZ MACCHI
• Assembly: Paraguay has a bicameral Congress (Congreso) consisting of the Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) with 45 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados) with 80 seats.

* GONZALEZ MACCHI became president when elected president Raul CUBAS Garu was impeached for his involvement in the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria ARGANA.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by plurality vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) 45 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms*. In the Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados) 80 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms.**

* Senators are elected in one national constituency.

** The Chamber of deputies is divided into 18 multi member constituencies.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: National Republican Association - Colorado Party (ANR)
  • Leader: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Senators election: 16
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Senators election: 25
• Party: Authentic Liberal Radical Party (PLRA)**
  • Leader: Julio Cesar FRANCO
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Senators election: 12
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Senators election: 13
• Party: Beloved Fatherland Movement (MPQ) / Movimiento Patria Querida
  • Leader: Pedro FADUL
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Senators election: 7
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Senators election: N/A
• Party: National Union of Ethical Reds (UNACE) / Union Nacional de Colorados Eticos
  • Leader: Guillermo Sánchez GUFFANTI
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Senators election: 7
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Senators election: N/A
• Party: Supportive Country Party / Partido Pais Solidario (PPS)
  • Leader: Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Senators election: 2
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Senators election: N/A
• Party: National Encounter Party (PEN)
  • Leader: Diego ABENTE
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Senators election: 1
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Senators election: 7

** Both parties made up the Democratic Alliance under Domingo LAINO in the 1998 legislative elections.

Last Legislative election:

• Legislative elections were last held in Paraguay on May 10, 1998.

Population and registered voters:

• Population: 5,607,948 (2003)
• Registered Voters: 2,405,108 (2003)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,769,241 (2003)

·         Is Paraguay a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Paraguay ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (12 January 1995)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 7 (Chamber of Deputies); 4 (Senate) following the 2003 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 112 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Paraguay a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Paraguay ratified CRPD: Yes (3 September 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 841,192 (est.)