Reply #27: Paraguay leftist ex-bishop ends ruling party's 61-year reign

[Judi Lynn]

Paraguay leftist ex-bishop ends ruling party's 61-year reign
50 minutes ago

ASUNCION (AFP) — Leftist former bishop Fernando Lugo won a historic presidential election in Paraguay on Sunday as he defeated ruling party candidate Blanca Ovelar to end 61 years of Colorado Party domination.

Lugo was declared the winner by the Electoral Tribunal with 41 percent of the vote compared to 31 percent for Ovelar, crushing her dream of becoming the South American country's first woman president.

"Today we can dream of a different country," Lugo, 56, told reporters. "Paraguay will simply not be remembered for its corruption and poverty, but for its honesty."

Ovelar, whose party has been in power since 1947, conceded defeat before the final results were released.

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