Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes announced Monday his resignation almost three months before the end of his presidential term in order to become a member of the country’s upper house of parliament, the Chamber of Senators.

Axar.az reports quoting sputniknews.com.

Cartes's term was due to end in August. Under the Paraguayan Constitution, a president may be elected only for a single five-year term, at the end of which they automatically become a senator for life, albeit without the right to vote. However, Cartes was able to retain the right to vote after winning a full Senate seat in April's general election. The president needed only to resign before the end of his term in order to be sworn in as a senator for future sessions.

"I present my letter of resignation as the president of the Republic of Paraguay to be able to continue serving my country in the Senate, fulfilling the people’s will expressed during the vote. May God bless Paraguay," Cartes wrote on his Twitter.