CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 001311 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2019 TAGS: PGOV KDEM HO SUBJECT: CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The members of congress elected on November 29 will take office on January 25. Two days before, on January 23, they will elect their executive board (president, vice presidents, and secretaries). Rumors have begun about who will be elected to the powerful position of president of congress. The four front runners are: Rodolfo Irias, Juan Hernandez, Antonio Rivera, and Celin Discua. All four belong to the National Party that will have the majority in the next congress and are conservative, supporters of a free market economy, and pro-U.S. All but Rivera have mixed reputations on corruption issues. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The national congress elected in the November 29 general election will meet on January 21 in a preparatory session to organize the election of its executive board and its inaugural session. The congress' new executive board (one president, minimum of two vice-presidents, two secretaries, and two deputy secretaries) will be elected by the members of congress by majority vote on January 23 according to article 195 of the constitution. As provided for by article 189 of the constitution, the new congress will begin its session on January 25. Article 195 of the constitution states that the president of the congress serves a four-year terms while the other members of the legislature's executive board serve two-year terms. ¶3. (C) Rumors have begun about the likely candidates for the presidency of the congress. The position will be occupied by a member of the National Party since the National Party will have the majority in the next congress with 71 out of a total of 128 seats. The next President of Honduras, Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, also belongs to the National Party and this will facilitate passage of his government plan. The front-runners are: Rodolfo "Fito" Irias, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Antonio Cesar Rivera, and Celin Discua. All four are conservative, supporters of a free market economy, and pro-U.S. However, President-elect Pepe Lobo informed the Ambassador on November 17 that he was seriously giving consideration to someone from outside the establishment, including a first-term female legislator. 4 (SBU) Irias will begin his seventh consecutive term in congress in 2010, representing the department of Atlantida. He was the National Party whip in the last congress. He also served in the last congress as president of the telecommunications commission and was a member of the budget and energy commissions. Irias is the most experienced candidate, having served as president of congress during the administration of former President of Honduras Rafael Leonardo Callejas (1990-1994). In 2005, he supported the campaign of Miguel Pastor, who unsuccessfully challenged Lobo for the presidential candidacy for the National Party. Irias earned a degree in business administration from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico and has been involved in several private enterprises in the communications industry and owns shares in several soccer teams. ¶5. (SBU) Hernandez will serve a fourth consecutive term in congress starting in 2010, representing the department of Lempira. He served on the budget, telecommunications, legislative proceedings, and market control commissions in the last congress. Hernandez served as secretary of congress during president-elect Lobo's tenure as president of congress (2002-2006). Hernandez is currently the secretary-general of the National Party's central committee. Hernandez has been a supporter of Lobo since Lobo's initial bid for the presidency of the country in 2005. Hernandez is an attorney who has taught law at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. ¶6. (SBU) Rivera, who also served in the last congress, represents the department of Francisco Morazan, which includes the country's capital of Tegucigalpa. Rivera served for nine months as mayor of Tegucigalpa in 1993, becoming the youngest person to serve in that position. He also served as president of the National Party's youth section. His father, Mario Rivera, was a National Party leader and served as president of congress in 1957. His mother is a cousin of former President Callejas. Rivera is a lawyer who taught law at the National Autonomous University of Honduras and graduated from the American School in Tegucigalpa. TEGUCIGALP 00001311 002 OF 002 ¶7. (SBU) Discua is, according to the press, one of the favorites because he has no ambitions to become president of the country. He served in the last congress representing the department of El Paraiso. He is a veteran National Party leader who is very conservative (the furthest right of the four likely candidates) and a friend of Lobo. Discua, the brother of infamous former Chief of the Armed Forces Luis Alonso Discua, served as minister of government and justice in the Callejas administration. Discua had previously served as head of the National Party's central committee. Discua owns transportation businesses. ¶8. (C) The Honduran congress has a sullied reputation; Irias, Hernandez, and Discua have been tainted to one degree or another. Rivera has a relatively clean reputation. It is important that Lobo is also quietly considering a slate of candidates from outside the traditional political insiders. LLORENS