Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TEGUCIGALPA1040
2008-11-19 19:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Cable title:
CONGRESS REFUSES TO CONSIDER VICE PRESIDENT
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 001040
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI HO
SUBJECT: CONGRESS REFUSES TO CONSIDER VICE PRESIDENT
SANTOS' RESIGNATION
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 1034
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission, Simon Henshaw, reasons 1.4 (b &
d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 001040
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI HO
SUBJECT: CONGRESS REFUSES TO CONSIDER VICE PRESIDENT
SANTOS' RESIGNATION
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 1034
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission, Simon Henshaw, reasons 1.4 (b &
d)
1. (C) Summary. Congress refused to accept Vice President
Elvin Santos' resignation on November 18 reportedly because
Santos had not submitted a valid reason for resigning. These
events were orchestrated to put an end to Santos'
presidential aspirations, but may backfire and strengthen his
primary election prospects by making him appear to be a
victim of political maneuvering. End Summary.
2. (C) Vice President Elvin Santos presented himself at the
Congress on the afternoon of November 18 to submit his
resignation. While initially refused entry, he was
eventually able to enter and present his resignation to
Liberal Party Whip Jose Angel Saavedra. Saavedra then asked
members of Congress present if they would consider Santos'
resignation; not a single member raised their hand in
affirmation.
3. (C) By simply "not considering" the resignation, Santos'
resignation request was effectively rejected. Gabo Jalil,
Liberal Party Congressman, told us that Santos' reasons for
resigning had no merit. National Party Congressman Antonio
Rivera told us that the only argument presented by Santos in
his resignation letter was that he wanted to seek the
Presidency of the nation, a reason the Congress did not
consider sufficient. Press is reporting, without
attribution, that members said the only valid reasons for
allowing Santos to resign would be if he had a terminal
illness or had some other physical or mental impediment that
would make it impossible for him to carry out his office.
Congress has accepted the resignation of myriad public
elected officials in the past, but none from such a high
office as the Vice President. Rivera told us that the
Congress would not reconsider the resignation unless Santos
presented a new letter with a different argument. PolCouns
asked Rivera if the Congress would accept the argument that
Santos felt he was unable to carry out his job because the
President's treatment of him was unacceptable and he felt
they could not work together. Rivera agreed this was a much
stronger argument and that all citizens should be able to
quit their jobs if they wanted to, but added that the final
decision would not be based on logic, but politics.
4. (C) As reported reftel, Santos wished to resign in order
to circumvent efforts by the Congress and the Supreme
Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to legally bar him from running for
President before the November 30 primary. As he feared,
before refusing his resignation, Congress responded to the
TSE's request of November 17 to replace every mention of the
Vice President in the Constitution with the words
"Presidential designates," effectively placing the same ban
on running for president that existed for "presidential
designates" onto the Vice President.
5. (C) Comment: Congress refusal to accept Santos'
resignation was no doubt orchestrated by Congress President,
and Santos' rival for the Liberal Party presidential
candidacy, Roberto Micheletti, a sign that the latter feels
extremely threatened by Santos' candidacy. While some
members of Congress told us that it was President Zelaya (who
has allied himself with Micheletti against Santos) who was
really calling the shots behind the scenes, in reality,
members of all the parties were complicit in "not
considering" the resignation, which indicates that there was
an agreement between Liberals and Nationals to try and keep
Santos out of the race, the Liberals because they are
controlled by Micheletti and the Nationalists because they
see Santos as a tougher competitor than Micheletti in the
presidential campaign. It seems absurd that the Congress
could refuse Santos' resignation, yet political pundits are
making the case with all their best legal arguments that
Santos has not presented a valid reason as to why he should
be allowed to leave. While the intent of all the maneuvers
TEGUCIGALP 00001040 002 OF 002
of recent days were aimed at keeping Santos from running, his
name is on the already printed ballots and these political
shenanigans may swing votes to his side. End Comment.
LLORENS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI HO
SUBJECT: CONGRESS REFUSES TO CONSIDER VICE PRESIDENT
SANTOS' RESIGNATION
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 1034
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission, Simon Henshaw, reasons 1.4 (b &
d)
1. (C) Summary. Congress refused to accept Vice President
Elvin Santos' resignation on November 18 reportedly because
Santos had not submitted a valid reason for resigning. These
events were orchestrated to put an end to Santos'
presidential aspirations, but may backfire and strengthen his
primary election prospects by making him appear to be a
victim of political maneuvering. End Summary.
2. (C) Vice President Elvin Santos presented himself at the
Congress on the afternoon of November 18 to submit his
resignation. While initially refused entry, he was
eventually able to enter and present his resignation to
Liberal Party Whip Jose Angel Saavedra. Saavedra then asked
members of Congress present if they would consider Santos'
resignation; not a single member raised their hand in
affirmation.
3. (C) By simply "not considering" the resignation, Santos'
resignation request was effectively rejected. Gabo Jalil,
Liberal Party Congressman, told us that Santos' reasons for
resigning had no merit. National Party Congressman Antonio
Rivera told us that the only argument presented by Santos in
his resignation letter was that he wanted to seek the
Presidency of the nation, a reason the Congress did not
consider sufficient. Press is reporting, without
attribution, that members said the only valid reasons for
allowing Santos to resign would be if he had a terminal
illness or had some other physical or mental impediment that
would make it impossible for him to carry out his office.
Congress has accepted the resignation of myriad public
elected officials in the past, but none from such a high
office as the Vice President. Rivera told us that the
Congress would not reconsider the resignation unless Santos
presented a new letter with a different argument. PolCouns
asked Rivera if the Congress would accept the argument that
Santos felt he was unable to carry out his job because the
President's treatment of him was unacceptable and he felt
they could not work together. Rivera agreed this was a much
stronger argument and that all citizens should be able to
quit their jobs if they wanted to, but added that the final
decision would not be based on logic, but politics.
4. (C) As reported reftel, Santos wished to resign in order
to circumvent efforts by the Congress and the Supreme
Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to legally bar him from running for
President before the November 30 primary. As he feared,
before refusing his resignation, Congress responded to the
TSE's request of November 17 to replace every mention of the
Vice President in the Constitution with the words
"Presidential designates," effectively placing the same ban
on running for president that existed for "presidential
designates" onto the Vice President.
5. (C) Comment: Congress refusal to accept Santos'
resignation was no doubt orchestrated by Congress President,
and Santos' rival for the Liberal Party presidential
candidacy, Roberto Micheletti, a sign that the latter feels
extremely threatened by Santos' candidacy. While some
members of Congress told us that it was President Zelaya (who
has allied himself with Micheletti against Santos) who was
really calling the shots behind the scenes, in reality,
members of all the parties were complicit in "not
considering" the resignation, which indicates that there was
an agreement between Liberals and Nationals to try and keep
Santos out of the race, the Liberals because they are
controlled by Micheletti and the Nationalists because they
see Santos as a tougher competitor than Micheletti in the
presidential campaign. It seems absurd that the Congress
could refuse Santos' resignation, yet political pundits are
making the case with all their best legal arguments that
Santos has not presented a valid reason as to why he should
be allowed to leave. While the intent of all the maneuvers
TEGUCIGALP 00001040 002 OF 002
of recent days were aimed at keeping Santos from running, his
name is on the already printed ballots and these political
shenanigans may swing votes to his side. End Comment.
LLORENS