At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Paraguay

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Nicanor DUARTE Frutos *
• Head of Government: President Nicanor DUARTE Frutos
• 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.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

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 Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Pedro Nicolás Maráa FADUL Niella
  • Party: Beloved Fatherland Movement/Movimiento Patria Querida
• Horacio Enrique GALEANO Perrone
  • Party: New Hope Movement/Movimiento Teta Pyahu
• Julio Cesar LOPEZ Benitez
  • Party: Party of the Workers/Partido de los Trabajadores
• Fernando Armindo LUGO Mendez
  • Party: Patriotic Alliance for Change/Alianza Patriotica por el Cambio
• Sergio MARTINEZ Estigarribia
  • Party: Paraguayan Humanist Party/Partido Humanista Paraguayo
• Blanca Margarita OVELAR de Duarte
  • Party: National Republican Association - Red Party/Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Partido Colorado
• Lino Cesar OVIEDO Silva
  • Party: National Union of Ethical Citizens/Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos

Population and registered voters:

• Population: 6,047,131 (2008)
• Registered Voters: 2,861,940 (2008)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,981,439 (2008)

·         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: 10 (Chamber of Deputies); 7 (Senate) following the 2008 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: 907,069 (est.)