President-elect Fernando Lugo, whose historic election ended six decades of one-party rule in Paraguay, on Friday named a former leftist militant to head his Cabinet when he takes office on Aug. 15.

Miguel Lopez Perito, 57, was one of the leaders of Paraguay’s leftist Military Political Organization, which plotted to violently overthrow dictator Gen. Alfredo Stroessner in the mid-1970s.

Many of the militants were captured by Stroessner’s secret police before their plan bore fruit, however, and disappeared during a region-wide clampdown on leftist militants during the 1970s.

Lopez Perito, who is a sociologist, said his militancy during that time was “part of the fight for democracy, social justice and to bring an end to the repression of the peasants, students, workers and the opposition.”

“Now we live in different times,” the Cabinet-chief-in-waiting said Friday.

Lugo _ a former Roman Catholic bishop dubbed Paraguay’s “Bishop of the Poor” _ also announced that former army Capt. Luis Bareiro would be his defense minister while agronomist and engineer Dionisio Borda would head the Economy Ministry.

Both men held the same Cabinet positions during the first three years of outgoing President Nicanor Duarte’s tenure.

Lugo’s April election win ended decades of uncontested power by the Colorado party _ including Stroessner’s 35-year military dictatorship.