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- WORLD, Page 51World NotesPARAGUAYTwo Roads To Power
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- One way to become the leader of a country is to organize a
- coup. Another is to get elected. General Andres Rodriguez, 65,
- has done both in the space of three months. Last week Rodriguez,
- who in February overthrew dictator Alfredo Stroessner after a
- 34-year rule, became President in Paraguay's first contested
- election in 61 years.
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- Since the coup, Rodriguez, a longtime top aide to
- Stroessner, has sacked 34 hard-line army generals, relaxed
- censorship and legalized eight political parties. Some
- opposition figures questioned the strength of Rodriguez's
- victory (74%), but no one seriously doubted he had polled more
- votes than his opponents. Although the Rodriguez-led Colorado
- Party captured 72 seats in the Congress, for the first time in
- decades the remaining 36 will go to a truly independent
- opposition.
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