Paraguay demands Mercosur annul suspension

Basing its arguments on the Olivos Protocol (a dispute settlement mechanism), Paraguay has filed a request for a revision of the decision by Mercosur (that is, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay) to suspend the country until new elections are held.  Meanwhile, a justice on the Paraguayan Federal Electoral Court (“ministro do Tribunal Superior de Justiça Eleitoral do Paraguai”), Manuel Morales, told the Organization of American States secretary general, José Miguel Insulza, who is visiting the country, that elections will take place as scheduled in April 2013, and not before.

“We told the secretary general that next April we will hold general elections and he said the OAS would provide any assistance that was needed,” reported justice Morales, adding that the court was prepared to ensure that the people of Paraguay would have an opportunity to elect the candidates of their choice.

At the same time Paraguay sought to have its suspension removed, it also demanded that the decision to admit Venezuela into Mercosur be annulled.

In both cases, Paraguay alleges there were violations of international law, such as the rule of equal treatment of states and the principle of non-intervention.

Paraguay was suspended from Mercosur because of the quickie impeachment of president Fernando Lugo. Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay believe there were problems with due process as the removal of Lugo took place in only two days and may have violated regional democracy clauses (Mercosur’s Ushuaia Protocol of 1998, the OAS Democratic Charter of 2001 and the Unasur Additional Protocol on Democracy of 2010).

As for the quickie admittance of Venezuela into Mercosur, it was only possible with the suspension of Paraguay because Asuncion had resisted approving it.