Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TEGUCIGALPA1127
2008-12-15 23:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Cable title:
POLITICAL MOMENTUM INDICATES ELVIN SANTOS WILL
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C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 001127
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SOCI HO
SUBJECT: POLITICAL MOMENTUM INDICATES ELVIN SANTOS WILL
LIKELY BE ALLOWED TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 1073
B. TEGUCIGALPA 1040
C. TEGUCIGALPA 1034
Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reason 1.4 (b & d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 001127
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SOCI HO
SUBJECT: POLITICAL MOMENTUM INDICATES ELVIN SANTOS WILL
LIKELY BE ALLOWED TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 1073
B. TEGUCIGALPA 1040
C. TEGUCIGALPA 1034
Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reason 1.4 (b & d)
1. C) Summary Although powerful political figures tried their
hardest to keep Vice President Elvin Santos from running for
President, he was still able to win the primary elections
with a stand-in candidate. Pundits and political rivals like
President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya and President of the Congress
Roberto Micheletti all are now all saying that Santos is the
Liberal Party candidate and will eventually be allowed to
run. We have encouraged all that any solution be both legal
and constitutional. End Summary
Changing Their Minds
--------------
2. (C) Despite all the political maneuverings by his
presidential rivals, Vice President Elvin Santos was able to
pull off a victory in the November 30 primaries with stand-in
candidate Mauricio Villeda (refs A - C). President of the
Congress Roberto Micheletti, who was soundly defeated,
accepted his defeat on December 1, but initially reiterated
that Villeda, not Santos, was the candidate. By December 6,
however, Micheletti was singing a different tune, after
holing up in his hometown of El Progreso with Santos for a
day-long meeting. Even President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya has
come forward to support Santos, telling the Ambassador in a
private meeting on December 10 that "the people had spoken"
and then saying publicly on December 12 that "Santos is the
Liberal Party candidate."
How to Do It?
--------------
3. (C) When the President said that Santos would be made the
party candidate, he did not specify how the action would be
accomplished. The Ambassador encourage that any moves should
be made in accordance with the law and the Constitution. The
papers are rife with speculation that the Congress would be
called into session to "interpret" the Constitution in a new
way, which would allow him to run. In a lunch with the
Ambassador on December 14, Minister of Defense Aristides
Mejia argued that a possible Constitutional interpretation
was that since the 1982 Constitution only prohibits the
Presidential Designates from seeking the Presidency, not the
Vice President, Santos was free to run. Many other political
figures are asserting that Santos, resounding popular
mandate clear the way for him to be recognized by the Supreme
Electoral Tribunal.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) The popular physics of Elvin Santos, landslide
victory over Congress President Micheletti has created a huge
momentum for the Liberal Party to rally behind the Vice
President's candidacy. In fact, it would be difficult for
even the National Party to publicly oppose Santos, since it
could lead to a citizen backlash. Certainly, the
constitution can be interpreted in many ways and there are a
number of cogent legal arguments for permitting Santos to
seek the Presidency. For all these reasons, we will continue
to stress behind the scenes that any move to allow Santos to
run should be accomplished within the law and the
Constitution. And because the Supreme Court has already
ruled on his candidacy, we will also encourage them that in
some way this needs to be dealt with in the courts, and not
just with the Congress. End Comment.
LLORENS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SOCI HO
SUBJECT: POLITICAL MOMENTUM INDICATES ELVIN SANTOS WILL
LIKELY BE ALLOWED TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 1073
B. TEGUCIGALPA 1040
C. TEGUCIGALPA 1034
Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reason 1.4 (b & d)
1. C) Summary Although powerful political figures tried their
hardest to keep Vice President Elvin Santos from running for
President, he was still able to win the primary elections
with a stand-in candidate. Pundits and political rivals like
President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya and President of the Congress
Roberto Micheletti all are now all saying that Santos is the
Liberal Party candidate and will eventually be allowed to
run. We have encouraged all that any solution be both legal
and constitutional. End Summary
Changing Their Minds
--------------
2. (C) Despite all the political maneuverings by his
presidential rivals, Vice President Elvin Santos was able to
pull off a victory in the November 30 primaries with stand-in
candidate Mauricio Villeda (refs A - C). President of the
Congress Roberto Micheletti, who was soundly defeated,
accepted his defeat on December 1, but initially reiterated
that Villeda, not Santos, was the candidate. By December 6,
however, Micheletti was singing a different tune, after
holing up in his hometown of El Progreso with Santos for a
day-long meeting. Even President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya has
come forward to support Santos, telling the Ambassador in a
private meeting on December 10 that "the people had spoken"
and then saying publicly on December 12 that "Santos is the
Liberal Party candidate."
How to Do It?
--------------
3. (C) When the President said that Santos would be made the
party candidate, he did not specify how the action would be
accomplished. The Ambassador encourage that any moves should
be made in accordance with the law and the Constitution. The
papers are rife with speculation that the Congress would be
called into session to "interpret" the Constitution in a new
way, which would allow him to run. In a lunch with the
Ambassador on December 14, Minister of Defense Aristides
Mejia argued that a possible Constitutional interpretation
was that since the 1982 Constitution only prohibits the
Presidential Designates from seeking the Presidency, not the
Vice President, Santos was free to run. Many other political
figures are asserting that Santos, resounding popular
mandate clear the way for him to be recognized by the Supreme
Electoral Tribunal.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) The popular physics of Elvin Santos, landslide
victory over Congress President Micheletti has created a huge
momentum for the Liberal Party to rally behind the Vice
President's candidacy. In fact, it would be difficult for
even the National Party to publicly oppose Santos, since it
could lead to a citizen backlash. Certainly, the
constitution can be interpreted in many ways and there are a
number of cogent legal arguments for permitting Santos to
seek the Presidency. For all these reasons, we will continue
to stress behind the scenes that any move to allow Santos to
run should be accomplished within the law and the
Constitution. And because the Supreme Court has already
ruled on his candidacy, we will also encourage them that in
some way this needs to be dealt with in the courts, and not
just with the Congress. End Comment.
LLORENS