2009 Honduran general election
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The Honduran general election, 2009 is planned to be held in Honduras on 29 November 2009, including presidential, parliamentary and local elections.[4] [5] Voters are expected to go to the polls to elect:
- A new President of Honduras to serve a four-year term, replacing current de facto Honduran President Roberto Micheletti, who replaced the elected president Manuel Zelaya after he was forcibly removed from Honduras during the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis. Both Zelaya and Micheletti are ineligible for re-election under the 1982 Constitution.
- 128 members to serve a four-year term in the National Congress.
- Representatives in municipal (local) governments.
The possibility of having a "fourth ballot box" (Spanish: cuarta urna) at the 29 November election regarding the convocation of a National Constituent Assembly[6] constituted a major element of the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis.
Background
 |
Preceding the planned November elections, the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis occurred, bringing the legitimacy of the elections into doubt.[7][8][9][10] At least two assassinations of members of one of the political parties participating in the election, the Democratic Unification Party, were attributed to the post-coup government.[11][12][13][14] A legal adviser of the Honduran military forces, which help in the logistics of carrying out elections, stated shortly after Zelaya's removal that it would be "difficult" or "impossible" for the military to accept a left-wing government.[15]
A "fourth ballot box" had been proposed to be included in the 29 November election. A non-binding poll about whether or not to include this fourth ballot box had been planned for 28 June 2009, and constituted a major element of the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis.
Controversy about election legitimacy
Organisations and individuals in Honduras, including the National Resistance Front against the coup d'Etat in Honduras[16], Marvin Ponce of the Democratic Unification Party[16], and Bertha Oliva of Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos en Honduras[17], and internationally, including Mercosur[7], President Cristina Kirchner of Argentina[7] and the Union of South American Nations[8], said that elections held on 29 November under Micheletti would not be legitimate.
Honduras
In early November 2009, Dagoberto Suazo of the National Resistance Front against the coup d'Etat in Honduras asked for the international community to continue to refuse to recognise the planned 29 November elections.[16] Marvin Ponce, a member of Congress from the Democratic Unification Party, said that it was not possible to hold the elections in the aftermath of the coup d'etat.[16] Bertha Oliva of COFADEH criticised the United States government for stating that Honduras could hold "free elections in less than three weeks" when "Hondurans [were being] subjected to arbitrary arrest, the closure of independent media, police beatings, torture and even killings by security forces". [17] Oliva claimed that it was not possible to have an election campaign when the right to freedom of assembly, freedom of movement and press freedom were absent. She called for elections to be delayed until at least three months after human rights and democracy are restored.[17]
On 6 November 2009, following the failure of Micheletti and Zelaya to together create a "unity cabinet", Zelaya called for a boycott of the 29 November election.[18]
On 9 November 2009, following a national meeting of leaders of the National Resistance Front against the coup d'etat, Reyes declared the withdrawal of his candidacy, on the grounds of not legitimising the coup d'etat and fraudulent elections.[1][2][3] At the time of Reyes' withdrawal, the Honduran newspapers La Tiempo and La Tribuna showed Reyes' right hand in a plaster cast[2][3] due to an injury sustained during his 30 July beating by Honduran security forces under the control of the de facto Micheletti government.[19][20] At least 30-40 candidates from various parties and independent candidates, including at least one National Party candidate, Mario Medrano in San Manuel, Cortés, also withdraw in protest.[21] Mario Medrano stated that he withdrew his candidature in order not to legitimise the coup d'etat, that this was independent of party membership, and that anyone elected could be removed [if the coup d'etat remained legitimate].[21]
International
Mercosur declared on 24 July 2009 that it would not recognise the results of the planned November elections or any other elections organised under Micheletti.[7] President Cristina Kirchner of Argentina stated, "We must condemn any benevolent coup attempt, that is, when through a civilian-military coup legitimate authorities are ousted followed by attempts to legalize the situation by calling new elections. This would be the death kiss for the OAS democratic charter and turning the Mercosur democratic charter in mere fiction".[7] On 10 August, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) also declared that it would not recognise the results of elections held while the de facto Micheletti government remained in power.[8] On 17 August, President Felipe Calderón of Mexico, together with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, made a similar statement.[9] On September 3, the US State Department issued a statement revoking all non-humanitarian assistance to Honduras and said, of the November 29 elections "At this moment, we would not be able to support the outcome of the scheduled elections".[10]
The U.S. has since changed position and announced that it will recognize the results of the election as a part of the San Jose-Tegucigalpa Accord.[22]
In the days proceeding the elections, Israel, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Germany, Costa Rica and Japan also announced their intentions to recognize the results of the elections. [23][24] [25] [26] [27]
Assassinations of political party members
Democratic Unification Party
Democratic Unification Party (PUD) member Roger Iván Bados (sometimes written Báez[11]) was "threatened with death immediately after the coup" and shot dead on 11 July 2009 next to his house in San Pedro Sula.[12] His assassination was attributed to the coup d'etat by Dr Luther Castillo of the Garifuna community organisation Luaga Hatuadi Waduheñu Foundation[11] and by an international human rights mission.[13] On 12 July, a leader of PUD,[13] Ramón García, was "riddled with bullets" after he was forced by unknown people to get off a bus.[13][14]. His assassination was attributed to the coup d'etat by Luther Castillo and two international human rights missions.[11][12][13]
Military role in elections
The military of Honduras are responsible for helping in the logistics of carrying out elections.
According to a legal adviser of the Honduran military forces, the military are opposed to left-wing government. In July 2009, legal counsel Colonel Herberth Bayardo Inestroza stated that the Honduran military was opposed to President Manuel Zelaya, whom the military had removed from Honduras a few days earlier, because of his left-wing politics. Inestroza stated, "It would be difficult for us [the military], with our training, to have a relationship with a leftist government. That's impossible." (Spanish original: "Difícilmente nosotros, con nuestra formación, podemos tener relación con un gobierno de izquierda. Eso es imposible.")[15]
Alleged military conspiracy for election day massacre
On 11 November 2009, Andrés Pavón of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras stated that the Honduran military planned to disguise soldiers as a fake armed wing of the National Resistance Front against the coup d'etat in Honduras that would massacre members of the Democratic Civic Union on 29 November 2009, with the goal of discrediting the National Resistance Front and creating a cycle of lethal violence between pro- and anti-coup civilian groups.[28] Pavón said that military officers "loyal to the Honduran people" had informed him about the plan and stated that the plan is to be carried out by supporters of the de facto government.[28]
Primaries
Internal party elections were held on 30 November 2008. Only the Liberal Party and National Party participated in these elections, since the smaller parties lack significant factions. They were supervised by the official electoral body, and the 48 hour ban on the sale of alcohol which accompanies all official elections was also imposed over that weekend.
Presidential election
The candidates of the two main political parties are former presidential candidate Porfirio Lobo Sosa of the National Party and former vice-president Elvin Santos of the Liberal Party. The trade union leader[29] and Garifuna leader, Bernard Martínez Valerio is the Innovation and Unity Party (PINU) candidate.[30] Martínez is the first black presidential candidate in the history of Honduras, according to PINU.[29] Another trade union leader Carlos Humberto Reyes, one of the coordinators of the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Contra el Golpe de Estado en Honduras, was an independent candidate for the election[19][20] until he formally withdrew in order not to legitimise the coup d'etat and what he and his supporters perceived would be fraudulent elections.[2][3]
The table below shows all six continuing and withdrawn candidates, in the order published by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.[31]
 |
|---|
| Candidate | Party/Independent |
|---|---|
| Porfirio Lobo Sosa | National Party |
| Bernard Martínez | Innovation and Unity Party-Social-Democracy (PINU) |
| Felicito Ávila | Christian Democrat Party (CD) |
| Elvin Santos | Liberal Party |
| César Ham | Democratic Unification Party (PUD) |
| Carlos H. Reyes | Independent (withdrew 9 November on grounds of alleged election illegitimacy and fraud)[1][2][3] |
Pre-election polls
|
A pre-election poll held 23–29 August 2009 by COIMER & OP showed a relative majority (41%) who would not declare a voting preference or would not vote in favour of any of the six candidates[32][33]. By mid-October this had dropped to a minority (29%) according to a CID-Gallup poll.[34] Porfirio Lobo's support increased from 28% in August to 37% in October, and Elvin Santos' support increased from 14% to 21%. According to the two polls, Carlos H. Reyes' support dropped from 12% to 6%, while the other three candidates increased from 1–2% support in August to 2–3% in October.[32][33] A popularity rating question in the COIMER & OP August poll, concerning positive, average and negative opinions towards presidential candidates and other prominent people, found that Porfirio Lobo had more negative than positive popularity (34% versus 30%), as did Elvin Santos (45% versus 19%) and the de facto President Roberto Micheletti (56% versus 16%) and César Ham (20% versus 16%). Carlos H. Reyes had more positive than negative ratings (25% versus 14%), as did de jure President Manuel Zelaya (45% versus 26%).[32][33]
| polling organisation, [ref] | date | poll details | candidate | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porfirio Lobo | Bernard Martínez | Felicito Ávila | Elvin Santos | César Ham | Carlos Reyes (withdrew 9 Nov)[1][2][3] | (other response) | |||
| CID-Gallup [34][35] | 13–19 October 2009 | national; 1420 people | 37% | 2% | 2% | 21% | 3% | 6% | 29% |
| COIMER & OP[32][33] | 23–29 August 2009 | national; 1470 people | 28% | 1% | 1% | 14% | 2% | 12% | 41% |
Congressional election
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2009) |
Local election
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2009) |
References
- ^ a b c d Honduras: piden boicotear las elecciones
- ^ a b c d e f "Carlos H. Reyes anuncia su retiro de los comicios" (in Spanish). La Tiempo (Honduras). 2009-11-08. Archived from the original on 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ a b c d e f "Carlos H. Reyes oficializa su renuncia" (in Spanish). La Tribuna (Honduras). 2009-11-09. Archived from the original on 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ http://www.adn.es/politica/20090529/NWS-0073-Autoridad-Honduras-noviembre-electoral-eleccion.html
- ^ http://electionguide.org/country.php?ID=97
- ^ "Honduras: busca reforma constitucional". BBC Spanish. 2009-03-24. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
- ^ a b c d e "Mercosur warns it rejects any attempt to call new elections in Honduras". Mercopress. 2009-07-25. Archived from the original on 2009-08-09. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Union of South American Nations rejects elections under Honduran de facto regime". Guelph Mercury/AP/The Canadian Press. 2009-08-10. Archived from the original on 2009-08-22. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "State Visit to Brazil by Mexican President Felipe Calderón". government of Mexico. 2009-08-17. Archived from the original on 2009-08-22. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b US State Department (2009-09-03). "Termination of Assistance and Other Measures Affecting the De Facto Regime in Honduras". US State Department. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ^ a b c d Ruiz, Albor (2009-08-02). "Honduras coup is more bloody than bloodless". Daily News (New York). Archived from the original on 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Quixote Center Emergency Delegation of Solidarity, Accompaniment and Witness (2009-08-07). "Letter to Honduran Attorney General Rubi". Quixote Center. Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e "International Observation Mission for the Human Rights Situation in Honduras Preliminary Report - Confirmed systematic human rights violations in Honduras since the coup d'etat". Upside Down World. 2009-08-06. Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Informe Preliminar Violaciones A Derechos Humanos En El Marco Del Golpe De Estado En Honduras". Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos en Honduras. 2009-07-15. Archived from the original on 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b English summary of interview with the legal counsel of the Honduras armed forces, Colonel Herberth Bayardo Inestroza, Robles, Frances (2009-07-03). "Top Honduran military lawyer: We broke the law". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2009-09-06. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help); original Template:Es Dada, Carlos (2009-07-02). "Cometimos un delito al sacar a Zelaya, pero había que hacerlo (". El Faro.net, El Salvador. Archived from the original on 2009-09-06. Retrieved 2009-09-06.{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d "Pro-Zelaya organization issues ultimatum for Zelaya's restitution". Xinhua News Agency. 2009-11-06. Archived from the original on 2009-11-06. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Honduras' Most Prominent Human Rights Expert Calls on Obama Administration to Denounce "Grave Human Rights Violations"". Center for Economic and Policy Research. 2009-11-05. Archived from the original on 2009-11-06. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Carroll, Rory (2009-11-06). "Power-sharing deal in Honduras collapses as Zelaya demands to lead". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2009-11-06. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "International Mission denounces the brutal repression of pacific demonstrations". Agencia Latinoamerica de Información. 2009-07-30. Archived from the original on 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Defying threats, Zelaya supporters continue protests". La Prensa. 2009-07-31. Archived from the original on 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "laprensa_reyescandidate" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ a b "Renuncian importantes dirigentes del liberalismo". La Tiempo (Honduras). 2009-11. Archived from the original on 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/11/2009112843327135878.html
- ^ http://elheraldo.hn/Especiales/Elecciones%20Generales%202009%20del%2001%20de%20octubre%20de%202009/Ediciones/2009/11/28/Noticias/Israel-apoya-las-elecciones-de-Honduras
- ^ http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/27-3
- ^ http://www.hondurasthisweek.com/international/1766-german-parliament-votes-to-support-honduran-elections
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/27/world/AP-LT-Honduras-Coup.html
- ^ http://www.laprensahn.com/index.php/content/view/full/359368/
- ^ a b Template:Es"Militares Planean Masacre: CODEH". Habla Honduras. 2009-11-11. Archived from the original on 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Sindicalista Bernard Martínez primer candidato presidencial negro en Honduras". Innovation and Unity Party. 2009-02-23. Archived from the original on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Bernard Martínez". La Tribuna (Honduras). 2009-07-20. Archived from the original on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Template:Es "Publicación del voto despeja incógnitas". Tiempo. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d Template:Es"Estudio de Opinión Pública - Nivel Nacional". COIMER & OP (Consultores en Investigación de Mercados y Opinión Pública. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d Giordano, Al (2009-10-06). "Poll: Wide Majority of Hondurans Oppose Coup d'Etat, Want Zelaya Back". Narco News. Archived from the original on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "El opositor Porfirio Lobo aventaja en 16 puntos al oficialista en Honduras, según una encuesta". Casamerica. 2009-10-27. Archived from the original on 2009-11-05. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Lobo 16 puntos arriba a 32 días de comicios" (in Spanish). La Prensa (Honduras). 2009-10-26. Archived from the original on 2009-11-05. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
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