BELOVED FATHERLAND PARTY CONFIRMS FADUL'S CANDIDACY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 001045 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA/FO CMCMULLEN, WHA/BSC MDRUCKER, KREAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2027 TAGS: PGOV PREL PA SUBJECT: BELOVED FATHERLAND PARTY CONFIRMS FADUL'S CANDIDACY Classified By: DCM Michael J. Fitzpatrick; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Paraguay's business-oriented Beloved Fatherland Party (PPQ) held its primary December 16, confirming the unopposed candidacy of Pedro Fadul for president and Ronald Dietze for vice president. Approximately 40 percent of the PPQ's 9,908 registered voters turned out to select the party's candidates for the Senate, Lower House, governors, and Mercosur from three factions within the party. While final numbers are still pending, it appears that Fadul's slate of candidates won overwhelmingly. ¶2. (C) One PPQ official told PolCouns December 14 that he believed the Colorados had financed a minority faction within his party in the hopes of ensuring a PPQ-Colorado alliance. Because of Colorado Party interference, he said, the PPQ moved its primary, originally scheduled for January 6, to December 16, the same day as the Colorado primary. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: In its 2003 electoral debut, the PPQ won 15 percent of congressional seats; Fadul placed third in the presidential race with 21 percent of the vote. According to current polls, the PPQ is not expected to perform as well in the April 2008 elections. While Fadul is polling between one and three percent, he is positioning himself for a much larger share of the vote if former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo is disqualified early next year. Irrespective of Fadul's finish in the presidential contest, his party's congressional delegation -- known for being some of the brightest, most active members of Congress -- will likely continue to play an important role. END COMMENT. Please visit us at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion CASON