Bishop leads polls for Paraguay’s 2008 presidential election

A former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo is the candidate with the best image among voters for the 2008 Paraguayan presidential, while current head of state Nicanor Duarte ranks ten, according to a public opinion poll released Tuesday in the capital Asunción.

Lugo a former bishop from the poorest dioceses in Paraguay was suspended by the Vatican following his resignation to his clerical condition last December, while president Duarte needs to modify the constitution if he goes ahead with his re-election plans.

According to the COIN survey published last Sunday in the Ultima Hora Asuncion newspaper, 63% of interviews have a “good or very good” opinion of Lugo with only 8% “bad or very bad”.

Runner up with 38% support among the 13 presidential hopefuls figures the leader of UNACE, National Union of Ethical Citizens, General Lino Oviedo who is currently in a military prison for having organized a frustrated coup. Anyhow he is banned from being a candidate in 2008.

In third place comes the current Minister of Education, Blanca Ovelar from the ruling Colorado Party, with a positive support of 34% and 29% negative.