Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TEGUCIGALPA996
2008-11-05 20:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Cable title:
HONDURAN CONGRESS APPROVES POSTPONEMENT OF
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C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000996
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI EAID HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAN CONGRESS APPROVES POSTPONEMENT OF
PRIMARIES ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER 30
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 982
B. TEGUCIGALPA 977
C. TEGUCIGALPA 970
D. STATE 114424
E. TEGUCIGALPA 960
Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reasons 1.4 (b & d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000996
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI EAID HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAN CONGRESS APPROVES POSTPONEMENT OF
PRIMARIES ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER 30
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 982
B. TEGUCIGALPA 977
C. TEGUCIGALPA 970
D. STATE 114424
E. TEGUCIGALPA 960
Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reasons 1.4 (b & d)
1. (U) In an emergency session called on November 4 by the
President of the Congress Roberto Micheletti, the Honduran
Congress approved postponement of the primary elections from
November 16 to November 30, by amending article 113 of the
Electoral Law. As was agreed in the meetings of the
political parties (ref A),the postponement was qualified as
being a onetime exception. In the meantime, Vice President
and Liberal Party presidential candidate Elvin Santos marched
on the Congress with hundreds of supporters to demand Santos
be allowed to participate in the election and that he be
given more time to present his case with the Supreme Court.
Santos said he supported the postponement in order to assist
the flood victims, but asked that he also be allowed to
benefit from an extension of his stay, which expires on
November 16.
2. (C) Comment: The postponement of the primaries was a
decision reached through a consensus of civil society, all
political parties, and the government (Refs A-E) in order to
address the issues related to the flood and flood victims.
The postponement was relatively short, and it will give the
government more time to organize the elections. The military
will have more time to distribute the electoral materials and
the National Register of Persons will have more time to get
the voting credentials out to the public. On the negative
side, some candidates are complaining that they have run out
of campaign funds, and that the extension benefits the
wealthiest of candidates, who did not need the boost. But
the biggest loser in this move is Santos, who will need to
take his case to the Supreme Court before November 16 if he
wants to have a chance at being a candidate. Santos' march
on the Congress was symbolic, as the decision on his
situation lies with the court, not the Congress, but he
mustered a loud group to plead his case in front of the
building nonetheless. Previously, Santos had told us he
would prefer to win the internal elections with Mauricio
Villeda standing in for him on the ballot, and then go to the
court in a much more powerful position as the
candidate-elect. Santos campaign ads all say, "A vote for
Mauricio is a vote for Elvin." But if Santos does not get a
decision by the court before November 16, most legal experts
are saying that Mauricio will become the permanent candidate,
and "A vote for Mauricio will be a vote for Mauricio." End
Comment.
LLORENS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI EAID HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAN CONGRESS APPROVES POSTPONEMENT OF
PRIMARIES ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER 30
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 982
B. TEGUCIGALPA 977
C. TEGUCIGALPA 970
D. STATE 114424
E. TEGUCIGALPA 960
Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reasons 1.4 (b & d)
1. (U) In an emergency session called on November 4 by the
President of the Congress Roberto Micheletti, the Honduran
Congress approved postponement of the primary elections from
November 16 to November 30, by amending article 113 of the
Electoral Law. As was agreed in the meetings of the
political parties (ref A),the postponement was qualified as
being a onetime exception. In the meantime, Vice President
and Liberal Party presidential candidate Elvin Santos marched
on the Congress with hundreds of supporters to demand Santos
be allowed to participate in the election and that he be
given more time to present his case with the Supreme Court.
Santos said he supported the postponement in order to assist
the flood victims, but asked that he also be allowed to
benefit from an extension of his stay, which expires on
November 16.
2. (C) Comment: The postponement of the primaries was a
decision reached through a consensus of civil society, all
political parties, and the government (Refs A-E) in order to
address the issues related to the flood and flood victims.
The postponement was relatively short, and it will give the
government more time to organize the elections. The military
will have more time to distribute the electoral materials and
the National Register of Persons will have more time to get
the voting credentials out to the public. On the negative
side, some candidates are complaining that they have run out
of campaign funds, and that the extension benefits the
wealthiest of candidates, who did not need the boost. But
the biggest loser in this move is Santos, who will need to
take his case to the Supreme Court before November 16 if he
wants to have a chance at being a candidate. Santos' march
on the Congress was symbolic, as the decision on his
situation lies with the court, not the Congress, but he
mustered a loud group to plead his case in front of the
building nonetheless. Previously, Santos had told us he
would prefer to win the internal elections with Mauricio
Villeda standing in for him on the ballot, and then go to the
court in a much more powerful position as the
candidate-elect. Santos campaign ads all say, "A vote for
Mauricio is a vote for Elvin." But if Santos does not get a
decision by the court before November 16, most legal experts
are saying that Mauricio will become the permanent candidate,
and "A vote for Mauricio will be a vote for Mauricio." End
Comment.
LLORENS