President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of August 15 Paraguay time (the evening of August 15 Taipei time) attended the ceremonies inaugurating Mr. Fernando Lugo as the new President of the Republic of Paraguay. President Ma represented the ROC in witnessing the peaceful transfer of power in that nation.
The inauguration ceremonies were held at 8:30 in the morning in the square in front of Paraguay's parliamentary building. President Ma arrived at the site 10 minutes prior to be beginning of the proceedings. The master of ceremonies announced to the guests in attendance as well as the public that had assembled for the event that President Ma had arrived. He was welcomed with a warm round of applause. President Ma was seated in a section for heads of state. Sitting to his right was Crown Prince Felipe of Spain, while to the left of President Ma was Venezuela President Hugo Chavez. After taking his seat, President Ma exchanged greetings with other heads of state sitting near him, as well as with vice presidents and envoys in attendance.
The presidential inauguration had a joyous feel to it. Many people who had gathered for the event held banners and posters. People old and young crowded into the square to witness the ceremony. President Lugo received a scepter from Paraguay Senate President Enrique Gonzalez Quintana and then delivered an address. An order was then signed by President Lugo to a new cabinet. The inauguration ceremonies lasted for about two hours. The inauguration was the first transfer of power among political parties in Paraguay in 61 years, marking a new page in Paraguay's democratic history.
After the conclusion of the ceremonies, President Lugo, President Ma, other heads of state and special emissaries participated in a religious ceremony. The foreign guests then made a visit to the presidential building to express their congratulations to President Lugo. In addition to introducing the members of the ROC's delegation to President Lugo, President Ma told his counterpart that the ROC places great importance on the inauguration ceremonies taking place in Paraguay and the media is closely following the event. President Ma said that 41 members of the media are traveling with him, which marks the largest traveling press corps of any nation attending the inauguration. After offering his congratulations, President Ma, the heads of state of other countries and special emissaries watched performances in front of the presidential building. This marked the conclusion to President Ma's activities in Paraguay associated with attending the presidential inauguration and offering his congratulations to President Lugo.
At 4 p.m., President Ma and his delegation boarded a chartered flight that took them from Paraguay to the Dominican Republic. Paraguay's newly installed Interior Minister Rafael Filizzola and Minister of Agriculture & Livestock Candidao Vera were at the airport to bid farewell to President Ma on behalf of the Paraguay government.