ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay’s President Horacio Cartes said on Monday he would not be a candidate in next year’s election in order to preserve stability in the South American nation, regardless of whether Congress passed an amendment to allow second terms.

Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes attends a meeting with political leaders in Asuncion, Paraguay April 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Adorno

In a letter to the Archbishop of Asuncion that was shared on Twitter, Cartes, a former soft-drink and tobacco executive, said his decision not to run was inspired by Pope Francis’s call for peace and dialogue in Paraguay.

Protesters set fire to Congress On March 31 after the Senate secretly voted in favor of the amendment, and police later stormed an opposition political party and killed a protester. The lower house has not yet voted on the proposal.

Investors favor Cartes’s low-tax policies and credit him with spurring one of the fastest economic growth rates in Latin America, but business groups had urged him not to seek another term in order to avoid more riots in the world’s No. 4 soy exporter.

“I hope this gesture of renunciation will result in a deeper dialogue aimed at strengthening the republic,” Cartes’s letter said.

Paraguay’s constitution has prohibited second terms since it was passed in 1992 after a brutal dictatorship fell in 1989. Many citizens in the land-locked nation of 6.8 million, long one of South America’s poorest, are fiercely opposed to any sign of trying to hold on to power.

Senator Lilian Samaniego of Cartes’s Colorado Party said the president’s allies would continue to seek approval from the lower house, though a popular referendum would be required for reelection to be implemented.

However, Pedro Alliana, the head of the Colorado Party, said the house was now unlikely to vote in favor of the proposal.

“If he (Cartes) is not a candidate, I can assure you that the chance of the amendment passing in the lower house are minimal, practically impossible,” said Alliana.

Changing the constitution without Cartes on the ballot would benefit former leftist President Fernando Lugo, who Congress ousted in 2012. His speedy impeachment on the grounds he failed to maintain social order following a bloody land eviction was criticized abroad.

Cartes, a political neophyte who said he had never voted in an election before casting a ballot for himself, was elected to a five-year term in 2013.

Without Lugo or Cartes there are currently few clear candidates for next year’s election.</s>2017-04-02 13:19:00

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed deep pain for the tragedy that has struck the city of Mocoa in Colombia where a gigantic landslide has killed over 250 people and left scores missing.

Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:

Colombia's security forces are searching for over 200 missing people after heavy mudslides reportedly left at least 254 dead, and injured more than 400.

Torrential rain flooded the city of Mocoa in the country's south-west with mud and rocks, burying whole neighbourhoods and forcing residents to flee their homes.

Speaking after the Angelus prayer which he recited during his visit to the northern Italian town of Carpi, the Pope said he is praying for the victims and he assured his closeness to those who are grieving the loss of their loved ones.

He also thanked all those who are working to assist the victims and provide rescue efforts.

Pope Francis then turned his thoughts to the situation of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kasai region where, he said, bloody armed clashes are killing and displacing people.

He appealed for prayers for peace in the nation, exhorting believers to pray so that “the hearts of those who are behind such crimes be freed from the slavery of hatred and violence, because hatred and violence are always destructive”.

The Pope noted that the violence in DRC is also affecting Church members, Churches and Church-run institutes like hospitals and schools.

Francis finally focused attention on the crises that are creating socio-political turmoil in Venezuela and in Paraguay.

“I pray for those populations who are very dear to me, he said, and invite all to tirelessly persevere in their search for political solutions, avoiding every kind of violence”.</s>Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes said on Monday he would not be a candidate in Paraguay's 2018 election regardless of whether or not Congress passes an amendment to allow second terms. In a letter directed to the Archbishop of Asuncion shared on Twitter, Cartes said he was inspired by Pope Francis's call for peace and dialogue.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Star Online.</s>ASUNCION, April 17 (Reuters) - Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes said on Monday he would not be a candidate in Paraguay's 2018 election regardless of whether or not Congress passes an amendment to allow second terms.

In a letter directed to the Archbishop of Asuncion shared on Twitter, Cartes said he was inspired by Pope Francis's call for peace and dialogue. Protesters set fire to Congress On March 31 after the Senate secretly voted in favor of the amendment. The lower house has not yet voted on the proposal.</s>ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) - Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes says he will not be a candidate in the 2018 election even if Congress approves a constitutional amendment to allow a second term.

Cartes made the announcement Monday in a letter to the Archbishop of Asuncion that he shared on Twitter. He said he was inspired by Pope Francis' call to avoid violence and seek political solutions.

Violent protests broke out last month after the Senate secretly voted in favor of the amendment.

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2014 file photo, Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes waves from a government palace balcony, in Quito, Ecuador. President Cartes said Monday, April 17, 2017, that he will not be a candidate in the 2018 election even if Congress approves a constitutional amendment to allow a second term. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File)

Protesters set some furniture on fire in the Congress building and a 25-year-old was shot and killed after police stormed the headquarters of the opposition's Authentic Radical Liberal Party.

The proposal is a hot-button issue in Paraguay where memories are fresh of a 35-year military dictatorship that only ended in 1989.</s>Paraguay’s President Horacio Cartes says he will not be a candidate in the 2018 election even if Congress approves a constitutional amendment to allow a second term.

Cartes made the announcement Monday in a letter to the Archbishop of Asuncion that he shared on Twitter. He said he was inspired by Pope Francis’ call to avoid violence and seek political solutions.

Violent protests broke out last month after the Senate secretly voted in favor of the amendment.

Protesters set some furniture on fire in the Congress building and a 25-year-old was shot and killed after police stormed the headquarters of the opposition’s Authentic Radical Liberal Party.

The proposal is a hot-button issue in Paraguay where memories are fresh of a 35-year military dictatorship that only ended in 1989.</s>Paraguay president says will not run in 2018 election

Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes said on Monday he would not be a candidate in next year's election in order to preserve stability in the South American nation, regardless of whether Congress passed an amendment to allow second terms, Reuters reported.

In a letter to the Archbishop of Asuncion that was shared on Twitter, Cartes, a former soft-drink and tobacco executive, said his decision not to run was inspired by Pope Francis's call for peace and dialogue in Paraguay.

Protesters set fire to Congress On March 31 after the Senate secretly voted in favor of the amendment, and police later stormed an opposition political party and killed a protester. The lower house has not yet voted on the proposal.

Investors favor Cartes's low-tax policies and credit him with spurring one of the fastest economic growth rates in Latin America, but business groups had urged him not to seek another term in order to avoid more riots in the world's No. 4 soy exporter.

"I hope this gesture of renunciation will result in a deeper dialogue aimed at strengthening the republic," Cartes's letter said.

Paraguay's constitution has prohibited second terms since it was passed in 1992 after a brutal dictatorship fell in 1989. Many citizens in the land-locked nation of 6.8 million, long one of South America's poorest, are fiercely opposed to any sign of trying to hold on to power.

Senator Lilian Samaniego of Cartes's Colorado Party said the president's allies would continue to seek approval from the lower house, though a popular referendum would be required for reelection to be implemented.

However, Pedro Alliana, the head of the Colorado Party, said the house was now unlikely to vote in favor of the proposal.

"If he (Cartes) is not a candidate, I can assure you that the chance of the amendment passing in the lower house are minimal, practically impossible," said Alliana.</s>Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes says he will not run for a second term next year, after signs that he would try to hang onto power sparked deadly riots.

Cartes made his intentions known in a letter Monday to the Archbishop of Asuncion, saying he always puts Paraguay first.

Pope Francis earlier this month urged all parties in Paraguay to seek a peaceful settlement to their political differences.

Paraguayan presidents have been limited to a single five-year term since 1992, following the brutal 30-year military rule of dictator Alfredo Stroessner.

With little fanfare, the senate passed a bill last month to change the constitution to allow Cartes to run again.

Opposition activists stormed the congress, setting fires and wrecking lawmakers' offices. One protester was killed.

The lower house has yet to pass the bill.

But the Stroessner dictatorship left a bad taste in the mouths of many Paraguayans for anyone who desires to remain in power.</s>Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes says he will not be a candidate in the 2018 election even if Congress approves a constitutional amendment to allow a second term. Cartes made the announcement Monday in a letter to the Archbishop of Asuncion that he shared on Twitter.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Holmes County Herald.</s>Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes said Monday he will no longer seek re-election next year, after his bid to change the constitution triggered deadly riots.

Cartes said in a statement he will “in no event” try to run in the April 2018 vote, seeking to end a political crisis unleashed by his push to remain in power another five years.

Presidential re-election has been taboo in the South American country since the 35-year dictatorship of General Alfredo Stroessner ended in 1989.

After Senators passed a bill last month to change that, opposition activists stormed Congress, ransacking lawmakers’ offices and lighting fires.

Police shot dead one opposition activist in a raid during the riots.

That triggered calls for crisis talks, backed by Pope Francis. But they fell apart when the main opposition, the Liberal Party, boycotted them.

The conservative president had the backing of his leftist rival Fernando Lugo, who was president from 2008 to 2012 and also wants to run again.

But the Liberal Party bitterly opposed changing the 1992 constitution’s limit of a single five-year term.
Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes says he will not be a candidate in next year's presidential election regardless of Congress's action on a constitutional amendment that would allow second terms. Cartes adds his decision was informed by Pope Francis's call for peace and dialogue in Paraguay following protests against this change that turned violent two weeks ago.