At stake in this election:

• 45 seats in the Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Juan Carlos WASMOSY
• Head of Government: President Juan Carlos WASMOSY
• 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.

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.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: National Republican Association (ANR)
  • Leader: Luis Maria ARGA
  • Seats won in last election: 20
• Democratic Alliance*
  • Seats won in last election
    • Authentic Radical Liberal Party: 17
    • National Encounter Party: 8

*the Democratic Alliance is composed of the Authentical Radical Liberal Party and the National Encounter Party

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 5,089,306 (1998)
• Registered Voters: 2,049,449 (1998)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,514,623 (1998)

·         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: 2 (Chamber of Deputies); 8 (Senate) following the 1998 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: 763,395 (est.)