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CENTRAL AMERICA |
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Honduras' Congress Overwhelmingly Votes
Against Reinstatement Of Zelaya
TEGUCIGALPA -
Honduras’ Congress overwhelmingly voted
Wednesday against the reinstatement of
ousted President Manuel Zelaya, a move that
closes the door on his return to power after
he was toppled in a June coup.
The congressional vote was part of a United
States-OAS (Organization of American States)
brokered deal between the deposed leader and
the country's de facto government that took
over following the coup land headed by
Roberto Micheletti.
A majority of the 126 members of Congress in
session voted against Zelaya's return to
power, throwing his future into question.
Zelaya has been holed up in the Brazilian
Embassy since he sneaked back into Honduras
in September.
Congress had already reached the simple
majority needed to block Zelaya's
reinstatement, but as the vote carried on
late into the evening, it appeared the
margin would be even wider.
Opposition conservative candidate Porfirio
Lobo (who had lost to Zelaya by a slim
margin in 2005) won Sunday's presidential
election in Honduras. The United States
quickly recognized the results but said the
vote was only a partial step toward
restoring democracy.
The stance has split the hemisphere with
United States and a few countries such as
Panama, Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia
recognizing Sunday’s results and the rest of
Latin America headed by Brazil and Argentina
that say it is impossible to accept an
election organized by a de facto government.
On June 28 during the so called “pyjama
coup” Zelaya was taken from his bed by the
military and sent into exile to neighbouring
Costa Rica on a military plane. Critics say
he was aiming at a constitutional overhaul
in an attempt to stay in power, a charge he
denies.
As elected president from the Liberal
(conservative) party he also angered
business leaders and members of his own
grouping by moving closer to Venezuela's
president, Hugo Chavez who begun supplying
Honduras energy-short with oil in long term
conditions.
The Supreme Court ordered his arrest,
charging him with violating the constitution
and Congress then voted to strip him of his
powers.
Lobo's conservative National Party took a
firm stance against Zelaya in Wednesday's
session. "If we reinstate Zelaya, it will be
worse for the country, the crisis would
continue, and democracy would once again be
in danger," National Party congressman
Victor Barnica said.
All candidates participating in Sunday’s
election including Elvin Santos from
Zelaya’s Liberal party accepted victory from
Lobo and insist the scheduled elections
(unrelated to the coup) were legitimate and
according to Honduran political calendar.
Earlier in the afternoon the European Union
reiterated its condemnation of the violation
of constitutional order in Honduras that
took place on 28 June 2009, but also accepts
that Sunday elections are a significant step
forward in solving the crisis.
“The EU has since the beginning of the
crisis called for a peaceful negotiated
solution to the political crisis and has
taken steps with other international
partners to bring this about”.
“The EU regrets that the Tegucigalpa/San
José Accord has not been fully implemented
ahead of the elections on 29 November,
leading to an electoral process under
abnormal circumstances”.
“However, the European Union sees the
elections as a significant step forward in
solving the crisis in Honduras. In this
regard, the European Union awaits the
outcome of the deliberations of the Honduran
Congress scheduled for 2 December 2009”.
Finally the EU calls upon all actors to seek
a dialogue in order to reach national
reconciliation and to re-establish
constitutional and democratic order in the
country, and expects them to assume their
full responsibility in this regard. The EU
demands that all actors promote and respect
the rule of law, good governance and human
rights.
Honduras is considered the third poorest
country of the Latin America and the
Caribbean behind Haiti and Nicaragua. Almost
half of its national budget is met with
international grants and the country has
preferential trade agreements with the
United States.
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