HONDURAS: Electoral campaigns, for November presidential elections kick off in divided Honduras following coup

Record ID: 346187

  • Title: HONDURAS: Electoral campaigns, for November presidential elections kick off in divided Honduras following coup
  • Date: 4th September 2009
  • Summary: TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS (AUGUST 31, 2009) (REUTERS) SUPPORTERS OF OUSTED PRESIDENT MANUEL ZELAYA SHOUTING SLOGANS DEMONSTRATORS AND POLICEMEN ACTIVIST THROWING BAGS OF WATER LIBERAL PARTY CANDIDATE ELVIN SANTOS, WALKING INTO MEETING SANTOS AND WIFE GREETING SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LIBERAL PARTY CANDIDATE ELVIN SANTOS, SAYING: "The country is going through its worst crisis in the last 30 years, however, history has wanted us to drive our party at this time and we assume that responsibility. We are going to follow the example of thousands of men and women who knew how to keep the liberal flame alive in even worse circumstances and managed to place it high regard and honourable places." SANTOS WITH SUPPORTERS GENERAL VIEW OF NATIONAL PARTY SUPPORTERS IN OPENING ACT LOBO ON PODIUM / WITH FOLLOWERS LOBO WAVING NATIONAL PARTY FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NATIONAL PARTY CANDIDATE, PORFIRIO LOBO, SAYING: "I have said that in the first place it has to be a government of national unity and a national agreement that allows us to create a government where an agreement leads us Hondurans, independently from the chosen party, to walk together on the same route and the fundamental axis of the proposal are income for families, education with health and security." PORFIRIO LOBO, FROM THE OPPOSITION NATIONAL PARTY, WITH SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POLITICAL ANALYST, MIGUEL CALIX, SAYING: "The worse risk I think would be that it could (elections) become violently bloody. People confronting or wanting to intimidate those who cue up to vote at voting stations. The other is abstention, that people fear going to vote." MINISTERS AND OTHER POLITICIANS MINISTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ACTING HONDURAN FOREIGN MINISTER CARLOS LOPEZ CONTRERAS, SAYING: "I repeat, he (Micheletti) did not say here's my resignation, but said he would consider the possibility, to consider resigning if three requests are met, that the other side stop pressuring and move out and that discriminatory measures applied to Honduras be removed." INTERIM PRESIDENT ROBERTO MICHELETTI WITH OFFICERS MICHELETTI WITH OTHER PEOPLE MICHELETTI WITH MINISTERS
  • Embargoed: 19th September 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Honduras
  • Country: Honduras
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4IOV4QMG5ZYQVXEAZ4M70BK7
  • Story Text: Electoral campaigns, for November presidential elections, officially begin in Honduras, a country divided after a coup. The international community has said it will not recognize the winner of the elections organized by the government that toppled Manuel Zelaya.
    Honduras kicked off on Monday (August 31) with campaigns for the November presidential elections in a country divided after a bloodless coup, while the international community has said it will not recognize the winner of the elections organized by the government that toppled Manuel Zelaya.
    The interim president Roberto Micheletti, who took over power after the military coup on June 28, has ignored international pressure to reinstate Zelaya and has assured his government is ready to confront an eventual economic and diplomatic blockade until it hands over power in January to a new leader chosen during elections on November 29.
    But a large part of the international community has said it will not recognize the winner of elections organized by the de facto government, even if the elections were set to take place before the coup, while Zelaya supporters hold daily marches in Tegucigalpa.
    Honduras was left divided and submerged in protests after Zelaya, an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, was overthrown two months ago by soldiers and expelled to Costa Rica while he prepared a popular referendum to extend presidential terms, something which is banned by the Constitution, an argument the conservative wing of his country has sustained to topple him.
    In spite of everything, the electoral campaign began on Monday with red and white flags from the party in power and blue and white flags from the main opposition group fluttering in the streets, while messages could be heard on the radio and television for the candidates calling Hondurans to vote.
    The main contenders are Porfirio Lobo, an agricultural businessman from the opposition National Party who leads the opinion polls and who had lost the last presidential elections against Zelaya, and the pro-government candidate Elvin Santos, an engineer from a rich family with interests in construction and real estate, representing the Liberal Party.
    The two candidates base their proposals on a unified government to bring peace to the country, attack unemployment and insecurity.
    "The country is going through its worst crisis in the last 30 years, however, history has wanted us to drive our party at this time and we assume that responsibility. We are going to follow the example of thousands of men and women who knew how to keep the liberal flame alive in even worse circumstances and managed to place it high regard and honourable places," said Liberal Party candidate Elvin Santos in an act with his supporters.
    In the last survey by CID Gallup issued in July, Lobo obtained 42 percent of preferences, five points above Santos.
    "I have said that in the first place it has to be a government of national unity and a national agreement that allows us to create a government where an agreement leads us Hondurans, independently from the chosen party, to walk together on the same route and the fundamental axis of the proposal are income for families, education with health and security," National Party candidate, Porfirio Lobo, told his supporters.
    In the presence of divisions in the country between those who support the coup and those who defend Zelaya, there are worries the campaigns could be sprinkled with violence.
    "The worse risk I think would be that it could (elections) become violently bloody. People confronting or wanting to intimidate those who cue up to vote at voting stations. The other is abstention, that people fear going to vote," said political analyst, Miguel Calix.
    On walls in main streets in Tegucigalpa, messages are painted reading: "Elvin and Pepe (Porfirio Lobo) in favour of coup," "If there is no solution there will be a revolution," "We want weapons."
    Zelaya, who has used Nicaragua as his base to put pressure for his return to power, called his supporters to sabotage the elections and the global community to not recognize the new government resulting from the elections.
    The elections are the strong card of the de facto government, to obtain a new endorsement in the international community for Honduras, a country where 70 percent of its 7.7 million residents live in poverty.
    Honduras was suspended from the Organization of American States (OAS) after the coup and its member countries and other world nations have said they will not recognize an new government if Zelaya is not reinstated.
    Acting Honduran Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez Contreras, said Micheletti would consider resigning before the elections if Zelaya did not return to power and measures against Honduras be removed by the international community.
    "I repeat, he (Micheletti) did not say here's my resignation, but said he would consider the possibility, to consider resigning if three requests are met, that the other side stop pressuring and move out and that discriminatory measures applied to Honduras be removed," he said.
    That solution seems bleak while the two main candidates start working on their presidential campaigns.
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