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Honduran candidates look to distance
themselves from San José Agreement |
By Chrissie Long
Tico Times Staff | clong@ticotimes.net |
Four of the five leading presidential candidates in Honduras are unwilling to accept the San José Agreement to restore their deposed president to power.
In a meeting with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias on Wednesday, they refused to support Manuel Zelaya's return to carry out his term, which ends in January.
Zelaya, who was ejected from his country by the military on June 28 after allegations that he violated the constitution, has been passing time in Nicaragua, waiting for an opportune time to return home.
But support for him is absent on the campaign trail, as the candidates – even that of his own Liberal Party – look to distance themselves from him and the San José agreement.
“We ask that our election process be independent from what happened on June 28,” said Elvin Ernesto Santos, who represents the Liberal Party. “We'd like to maintain our separation from the agreement, but we'd like to indicate our respect for it.”
Arias, who mediated between the feuding parties during an intensive four-day process in July, invited the five politicians to San José with a warning.
If Zelaya were not reinstated as president, the elections on Nov. 29 would not be recognized by the international community and Honduras would remain cut off from the rest of the world, he said.
Since the coup at the end of June, the Central American Integration System suspended Honduras' participation, the United States cut off $30 million in aid and the European Union is withholding another $95 million.
With a full understanding of how isolation could tear at their country, the candidates came to Costa Rica on Wednesday in the hopes of negotiating with international players.
“We are in an economically precarious position, which will directly affect our people,” said Santos. “We want a harmonious exit to this situation and that is why we are here.”
Though they could not come to an agreement over Arias' draft accord, they did sign a statement indicating their support for some of the ideas behind the document.
César Ham, candidate with the Democratic Unification Party, was the lone voice in support of the agreement, which was drafted in July as a proposed solution to the conflict.
Identifying himself as a representative of a “leftist party,” he said “We think we need to reinstate the democratically elected President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales. The rest of the candidates do not agree … They say the San José Agreement is insufficient … Yet, if there is no resolution on the San José Agreement, the election will not be recognized.” |
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wrote on 09/17/2009 02:39:00 PM |
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Comment 1:
Central American Democracy: Obama’s actions against Honduras are a “red” flag that exposes his vision for “change” the United States.
by: Richard Knudson
BACKGROUND: During the 1980s when the Sandinistas, a far left group dedicated to the Communization of the Country of Nicaragua attempted to take control of the government. The United States strongly supported the Contras that supported a democratic form of government. In neighboring El Salvador Marxists were trying to take control of their government. Anti-Sandinistas and anti-Marxists, supported by the United States found comfort and aid in Honduras. Because the United States and Honduras stood firm the people of Nicaragua and El Salvador spoke and democracy prevailed.
Honduras gained independence from Spain almost 200 years ago and, in spite of trials and tribulations of a developing nation, has worked through many difficulties and multiple constitutions. Today they have a democratic government and like the United States, They have three branches of government (The legislative branch, the executive branch, and the Judiciary). Congress and the President are elected every four years. In the last 28 years, this poor country with a per capita GDP of $4,400 has remained a beacon of stability and democracy for others. It is a country, despite its many economic challenges, with the rule of law.
The Honduran constitution includes a greater detail of law than the Constitution of the United States, but unlike United States their constitution clauses that control term limits can never be changed. The Honduran constitution calls for a single term of office for the legislature and for the president. Is also specifies that anyone who attempts to violate the single term rule of law immediately forfeits their citizenship. Only the 128-person congress can change other clauses of the constitution.
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wrote on 09/17/2009 02:40:00 PM |
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Comment 2:
EVENT: Earlier in the summer, June 26th, the standing President of Honduras, President Zelaya, violated that rule by requiring all government employees to take part in an opinion poll to convene a “National Constitutional Assembly” in an attempt to change the constitution regarding the terms of office. The Supreme Court informed him that his actions were illegal. Zelaya then published that decree to initiate an “opinion poll” about the possibility of convening a national assembly, he invoked the unchangeable articles of the Constitution that prescribe the penalties to deal with the prohibition of reelecting a president and of extending his term. These articles resulted in his instant forfeiter of his citizenship, and requiring him to be removed from public office making him instantly ineligible to be president. In effect, he abdicated his position by his unlawful acts.
The Congress unanimously, with the exception of the 5 members of the Communist Party, voted to remove Zelaya from office. The action was supported, as legal, by unanimous consent of the 14 members of the Honduran Supreme Court. President Zelaya was removed from office by the military at the request of the Supreme Court. The President of the National Congress was installed as an interim president in accordance with the constitution.
The Congress, the Supreme Court and the Military performed their duties in strict compliance with the Honduran Constitution. Their actions were legal, and just. Zelaya was elected on false promises and with intent to deceive, as his actions did not meet his pre-election rhetoric.
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wrote on 09/17/2009 02:41:00 PM |
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Comment 3:
EVENT: Earlier in the summer, June 26th, the standing President of Honduras, President Zelaya, violated that rule by requiring all government employees to take part in an opinion poll to convene a “National Constitutional Assembly” in an attempt to change the constitution regarding the terms of office. The Supreme Court informed him that his actions were illegal. Zelaya then published that decree to initiate an “opinion poll” about the possibility of convening a national assembly, he invoked the unchangeable articles of the Constitution that prescribe the penalties to deal with the prohibition of reelecting a president and of extending his term. These articles resulted in his instant forfeiter of his citizenship, and requiring him to be removed from public office making him instantly ineligible to be president. In effect, he abdicated his position by his unlawful acts.
The Congress unanimously, with the exception of the 5 members of the Communist Party, voted to remove Zelaya from office. The action was supported, as legal, by unanimous consent of the 14 members of the Honduran Supreme Court. President Zelaya was removed from office by the military at the request of the Supreme Court. The President of the National Congress was installed as an interim president in accordance with the constitution.
The Congress, the Supreme Court and the Military performed their duties in strict compliance with the Honduran Constitution. Their actions were legal, and just. Zelaya was elected on false promises and with intent to deceive, as his actions did not meet his pre-election rhetoric.
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wrote on 09/17/2009 02:42:00 PM |
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Commect 3: (Corrected)
OBAMA FACTOR: Within days of the removal of Zelaya, the Obama Administration declared the removal to be illegal and has demanded the return of Zelaya. The American Communist Party (http://www.cpusa.org), the five members of the Communist Party in the Honduran Congress, AFL-CIO, Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) and Manual Ortega (Nicaragua) the UN and the OAS all echoed Obama’s demands.
Because Obama says it is illegal does not make it so; it was not illegal. It was entirely legal, and appropriate. It was conducted in strict compliance with the Honduran Constitution, yet the Obama administration has cut aid to Honduras that was authorized by the Bush administration and provided in recognition of “Good Governance”. Some Actions taken by OBAMA were requested on the USA Communist Party Website.
OPINION: It is my opinion that this act is the most direct, revealing indication of what Obama has in store for the United States. He talks about the courts enforcing social justice through decisions, redistribution of wealth, has surrounded himself with extremists, has taken government control of General Motors and given equity ownership to the unions, has refused to denounce Acorn for its willingness to defraud the IRS and to support the importation of underage girls for sexual exploitation. It is difficult to come to any conclusion other than the President of the United States has a vision of a government for the United States that mirrors that of Chavez’s Venezuela which is the same vision shared by Zelaya for Honduras.
QUESTIONS: Why are we allowing this to happen? America, when have we changed our course from being a beacon of liberty and democracy to a champion of suppression? Why has a bipartisan congressional committee not visited Honduras?
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wrote on 09/17/2009 02:43:00 PM |
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Title II, Chapter 3: (citizens) Article 42:
? The legal rights of any citizen is lost: 5) If the citizen incites, promotes, or supports the continuance or the re-election of the President of the Republic;
Title II, Chapter 4: (executive power):
? Article 238: In order to become the President of the Republic or designated to the Presidency, one must: 3) Be in possession of a citizen's legal rights;
? Article 239: A citizen who has previously held executive power cannot be President or designated to the Presidency. Those that break this provision or propose reform of this provision, as well as those that help directly or indirectly, will immediately cease to hold and exercise the power of his/her post, and will be banned from holding any future public office for a period of ten years.
? Article 244: If need be, the lawful duty of the President of the Republic, or of its substitute, will be presented to the President of the National Congress if in session, and if not to the President of the Supreme Court.
? Article 272: The Armed Force of Honduras is a permanent National Institution, essentially professional, a-political, obedient, and un-deliberate. It is constituted to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic, to maintain the peace, public order, protect the Constitution, the principles of free suffrage, and the changeability of the President of the Republic.
? Article 278: The orders that tie the powers of the President of the Republic to the Armed Forces, through its Chief, shall be followed and exercised.
Title VII, Chapter 1: (constitutional reform):
? Article 373: Constitutional reform can only be declared by the National Congress, in regular sessions, with a 2/3s vote of its members. The decree to be voted on will specify the article or articles to be reformed, and it must be concurred by the subsequent session of Congress by a 2/3s vote before it takes effect.
? Article 374: It can not be reformed, under any circumstances, the previous article, this article, the Constitutional articles related to the form of government, the national territory, Presidential term-limits, the prohibition of a President to be re-elected, and the requirements and prohibitions on who can and can not be President.
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wrote on 09/17/2009 03:29:00 PM |
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Makes me want to become a clown, and help to make people feel better! |
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