PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DRAFTED GUARANTEES FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000950 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KJUS PHUM HO SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DRAFTED GUARANTEES FOR ZELAYA COMPLIANCE WITH SAN JOSE REF: TEGUCIGALPA 942 Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Presidential candidates Elvin Santos of the Liberal Party, Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo of the National Party, Felicito Avila of the Christian Democratic Party (DC),and Bernard Martinez of the Social Democratic Innovation and Unity Party (PINU),along with former Presidents Ricardo Maduro and Carlos Flores, met on September 20 and drafted proposals for inclusion in the San Jose Accord (see reftel). Before it became known that President Jose Manuel "Mel" Zelaya had returned to Honduras, the four candidates were pressing for a meeting on September 21 with de facto regime leader Roberto Micheletti, who had offered to meet with them on September 24, and had already scheduled a meeting on September 21 with General Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez. End Summary. ¶2. (C) PINU candidate Bernard Martinez gave Poloff on September 21 a document listing the points drafted by the four candidates and the two former Presidents to guarantee the compliance of President Zelaya with the San Jose Accord. Martinez said the candidates planned to present the points to Micheletti for him to formulate a counter-proposal to the San Jose Accord. ¶3. (C) The points are: -- Continuous joint Honduran-U.S. military exercises to last six months from the signature of the San Jose Accord. -- Reform of the Electoral Law so that the Armed Forces and the National Police pass immediately under the control of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal until the inauguration of next government elected on November 29, 2009. -- Legislative decree stating that from the restoration of President Zelaya there can be no changes in the Joint Defense Staff or the Ministry of Security. -- The appointment of a high-level commission to designate a national unity government to take office before Zelaya's restoration which cannot include any public officials who were involved in events that brought about the conflict. -- Amnesty is limited to political events that occurred before June 28, 2009 and will be in effect as long as the San Jose Accord is adhered to in its entirety and amnesty does not include ordinary crimes for which there will be a moratorium until January 27, 2010. -- It is prohibited for any person or group of persons to execute acts aimed at implementation of a National Constituent Assembly or a fourth urn. -- The restored government will support the November electoral process and will not countenance or participate in any demonstrations to destabilize the country or incite groups to do so. -- A verification commission will be named regarding spending of state and external funds respecting the 2009 budget and the budget approved regarding January 2010 and only the Congress will approve the increase or decrease of that budget. The commission should be formed by high-level officials from the government and the international community as permanent agents. -- Respect by the executive for all state institutions. -- Appropriate guarantees for Roberto Micheletti and the officials of his government. -- If the San Jose Accord is not accepted by President Zelaya, the international community will recognize the de facto regime. -- If any clauses of the Accord are violated, the Verification Committee, composed of members of the TEGUCIGALP 00000950 002 OF 002 international community, will support the immediate suspense of political amnesty and the judicial moratorium regarding President Zelaya. ¶4. (C) Comment. The presidential candidates exercised strong leadership by meeting with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias on September 16 in San Jose and by coming together to draft these points to be used to budge Micheletti towards concluding the San Jose Accord. Even after Zelaya's return to Honduras, the candidates, if convinced to continue to demonstrate the leadership they have shown thus far, can be part of the solution to Honduras' crisis. LLORENS