Paraguay congress building set ablaze after contenious vote

April 1 (UPI) -- A congressional building in Paraguay was set ablaze during a protest against a senate vote to allow President Horacio Cartes to seek re-election.

Flames covered part of the congressional building as protesters vandalized offices and targeted police vehicles in the capital city of Asuncion on Friday night.

"I didn't expect to witness something like this," speaker of the lower house, Hugo Velázquez, said. "I am calling for harmony."

Firefighters arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames and riot police fired rubber bullets at the crowd. Some protesters were injured.

Paraguay signed a new constitution in 1992 which placed a system of checks and balances on the executive office and limited the president to a single five-year term, following the 35-yearnrule of Gen. Alfredo Stroessner.

The protests erupted after a group of 25 senators began holding "parallel sessions" to amend the constitution to allow Cartes to seek re-election following the end of his five-year term.

A senate meeting scheduled to be held on Saturday was canceled following the protests and the damage to the congressional building.