HONDURAS: Wife of deposed president Xiomara Castro chosen as presidential candidate in Honduras

Record ID: 702547

  • Title: HONDURAS: Wife of deposed president Xiomara Castro chosen as presidential candidate in Honduras
  • Date: 19th November 2012
  • Summary: TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS (NOVEMBER 18, 2012) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) VARIOUS OF CASTRO AND MANUEL ZELAYA IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LIBRE PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, XIOMARA CASTRO, SAYING: "We have received various messages from the people. That we must oppose weapons as a form of taking power, that it is time to break the chains of the bi-party system. Today a new political party is rising, one that was only formed six months ago, and the people have hope in this party, they are confident that we are going to, together with a people, find a way out of the crisis we find ourselves in." CASTRO AND ZELAYA SHOWING INKED FINGERS SHOWING THEY VOTED PEOPLE COMPLETING BALLOTS WOMAN MARKING BALLOT WOMAN CASTING VOTE MAN RECEIVING BALLOT ELECTORAL OFFICIALS WITH BALLOTS WOMAN SHOWING HER ID SO THAT SHE CAN VOTE OAS OBSERVER ENRIQUE CORREA SPEAKING TO ELECTORAL STAFF CORREA LEAVING POLLING LOCATION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ENRIQUE CORREA, OAS ELECTORAL OBSERVER, SAYING: "As of now, none of the predictions that there would be problems at polling locations have occurred. So we have a positive outlook on the way they have been organized." VARIOUS OF VOTES BEING COUNTED SCREEN SHOWING VOTES CAST FOR XIOMARA CASTRO
  • Embargoed: 4th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Honduras
  • Country: Honduras
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7413836JNGYLDCBXQCAJM8UTF
  • Story Text: Xiomara Castro, the wife of ousted former president Manuel Zelaya, is chosen as a candidate as Hondurans head to the polls in primary election.


    The wife of former Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was formally selected as a presidential candidate on Sunday (November 18) as three Honduran political parties vote to select their candidates for the country's November 2013 general elections.
    Xiomara Castro, 53, ran uncontested to be the presidential candidate for the left-leaning LIBRE (Liberty and Refoundation) Party, while the historically dominant Liberal and National parties each fielded several candidates.
    Castro's husband, Manuel Zelaya, was whisked out of the country by the Honduran Army in June 2009 after he pushed a referendum seen by the opposition as an attempt to extend his term as president. He returned in May 2011 after two years in exile.
    Speaking at a news conference alongside her husband, Castro said that the recently founded Libre Party would break the dominance the Liberal and National parties have had in Honduran politics.
    "We have received various messages from the people. That we must oppose weapons as a form of taking power, that it is time to break the chains of the bi-party system. Today a new political party is rising, one that was only formed six months ago, and the people have hope in this party, they are confident that we are going to, together with a people, find a way out of the crisis we find ourselves in," she said.
    Initial data collected by Honduran electoral officials suggests that attorney and political conservative Mauricio Villeda, 64, was almost certain to be selected at the Liberal Party's candidate, having already obtained 45.9 percent of the votes that had been counted. Villeda's father, Ramon Villeda, was himself president of Honduras before being ousted in a 1963 coup.
    Juan Orlando Hernandez, 44, the president of the National Congress, was leading the National Party's primary election, according to the Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
    A team of 40 electoral observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) was on hand to oversee the voting process.
    OAS electoral observer Enrique Correa said that the team was satisfied with the elections so far.
    "As of now, none of the predictions that there would be problems at polling locations have occurred. So we have a positive outlook on the way they have been organized," he said.
    Whoever wins the November 2013 general election will take helm of a country experiencing economic troubles, rampant lawlessness, poverty, a crumbling justice system and the presence of drug trafficking organizations and violent street gangs.
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