Honduras: Poll Proposed by Resistance Challenges Regime

[Judi Lynn]

Honduras: Poll Proposed by Resistance Challenges Regime
By Peter Lackowski
Upside Down World
Wednesday, Mar 17, 2010

"On June 28 (2010) we are going to hold a great poll of our people which is going to express our judgment, massively, in favor of a democratic and participatory constitutional constituent assembly in our country," said Rafael Alegría of the National Front of Popular Resistance, earlier this March.

The poll is planned for the one year anniversary of a similar non-binding opinion poll that President Manuel Zelaya wanted to hold to determine whether a majority of Hondurans wanted a referendum on a new constitution to be included in last November's election. The nation's oligarchic press expressed their horror that this was similar to what had happened in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Those nations have established new constitutions that are more favorable toward the rights, participation, and interests of the popular classes. The Honduran legislative and judicial branches also opposed Zelaya's initiative, and the army deported him to Costa Rica. In response, a massive movement of labor, human rights organizations, indigenous peoples, gays, community organizers, and virtually every progressive in Honduras came together and began organizing resistance to the illegal regime.

The de facto government that replaced Zelaya went ahead with the elections scheduled for November 29, 2009, but according to Alegría, "The Resistance considers the current regime to be the continuation of the de facto regime of (dictator Roberto) Micheletti. Up to now there has been no reform, it is the same scheme."

This bold announcement indicates a new stage in the struggle to establish democracy in Honduras. Alegría expressed determination to go forward with a vote on a constitutional constituent assembly, saying that those who oppose it might resort to their usual tactics, "to repress, murder, and imprison our people, but nothing and no one is going to stop this initiative of the Resistance..."

Alegría went on to denounce the intervention of United States Ambassador Hugo Llorens, who is "dedicating himself to establishing a famous dialogue with the businessmen, with the leaders of the Liberal Party, with other sectors, in order to weaken the Resistance."

More:
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/honduras-archives-46/2406-honduran-resistance-challenges-regime

(Hoping that this courageous leader will find a way to avoid becoming a martyr. Anyone who dares to call for democracy in that country which is being held hostage by maggots is really putting himself/herself in harm's way. Hope Rafael Alegría will be protected. Honduras needs to continue the blessed work started by President Zelaya.)

[DutchLiberal]

1. K&R for the brave people of Honduras...

I still can't believe the new coup government has been recognized by so many countries, including the US (when they promised they would not).

Former dictator Roberto Micheletti is now one of the vice-presidents of the organization 'Liberal International', a collaboration of all kinds of liberal political parties world-wide, which states as its mission to promote freedom and democracy throughout the world...

[protocol rv]

2. I believe President Lobo was democratically elected

So it's not a "new coup government". Zelaya overplayed his hand, and brought nothing but ruin to his country.

[Downwinder]

3. Define "democratically elected."

[protocol rv]

5. Democratically Elected?

I guess that would be one who is elected by the individuals who show up to vote. I'm in favor of a slight variation, whereby individuals can cast more than one vote (that is, they could vote for more than one candidate), and the ballot should include a line designated "none of the above", but I'm a revolutionary, I don't think this method will be used for a long time.

[DutchLiberal]

9. What is a democracy without freedom of speech or freedom of the press?

Both freedoms, which are essential for the functioning of a real democracy, were (and still are) not present in Honduras under the coup government.

[protocol rv]

11. If you say so...

I'm not in Honduras. I searched the web and found that indeed there are serious abuses in Honduras. For example, I can quote the following:

"The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) became the most recent body to condemn ongoing rights abuses being carried out against anti-coup activists in Honduras. On Monday the IACHR said at least three members of the resistance movement were murdered in the last month while numerous other anti-coup activists have been the target of “kidnappings (at least 2 confirmed cases), arbitrary detentions (more than 50 confirmed cases), acts of torture (at least 8 confirmed cases), sexual violations (at least 2 confirmed cases), and illegal raids (at least 1 confirmed case).” Further, the IACHR says, children of resistance members have been the latest group to be subjected to violence with two children of activists murdered recently. Here’s the IACHR in its own words: “The Commission observes with dismay that it appears that sons and daughters of leaders of the Resistance Front are being killed, kidnapped, attacked, and threatened as a strategy to silence the activists.” The graphic of these acts of violence are retold by the inter-American rights commission, and the IACHR calls on the Honduran government to “adopt urgent measures to guarantee the rights to life, humane treatment, and personal liberty.”"

Of course, this is the same Inter American Commission on Human Rights which issued a hard report on the situation of Human Rights in Venezuela, and the radical left which posts in this blog chose to attack it and defend Chavez' dirty language against the Commission chairman.

Returning to Honduras, I propose we say President Lobo was democratically elected in a very flawed process, which puts in doubt the legitimacy of his election. But this is the same trickery and shenanigans we see in so many other places, including Venezuela.

This is why I have a tendency to support decentralization of power, I suspect most "democratically elected" leaders are in power as a result of some shenanigan, cheat, undue influence, or some other unsavory means. So if they are in power that way, might as well keep them weak and divided. Which means the tendency in communist nations to evolve the supreme leader, with the resulting personality worship, a rubber stamp congress, and a supine judicial branch, is not exactly good for anybody in the long term. We, the people, need to keep them divided, and oppose concentration of power as much as we can.

[DutchLiberal]

12. I will never call Lobo 'president'.

The only person who is the rightful and legitimate president of Honduras, is Manuel Zelaya.

[Bacchus39]

13. his term expired, so he is not the rightful president even if he had been returned

Hondurans know that Lobo is their president.

[Wilms]

14. Hondurans know that there was a coup followed by a joke election.

Even the National Democratic Institute said so, likely to some surprise. But they did it.

"In addition, the report cited the “state of siege” (estado de sitio) that was decreed on Sept. 27 and extended three weeks into the official campaign period. The decree suspended constitutional guarantees, which included freedom of speech and assembly, and protection against arrest without warrant. Under this suspension of civil rights, security forces closed two opposition media outlets and reportedly damaged broadcast equipment. A number of international and national human rights groups raised concerns about these and other developments, including arbitrary detentions and excessive use of public force against demonstrations."

http://www.ndi.org/node/15935

I think you'll also find that international delegations, in the main, had other plans for the "inauguration".



What else need I clean up after you today, Bacchus39?

:hi:

[Bacchus39]

15. nope, I know who the president of Honduras is at the moment

do you?

[DutchLiberal]

17. The Honduran people don't.

President Zelaya didn't get to finish his presidency. An illegal military coup deposed him. The United Nations unanimously condemned the coup (which is a historic display of unity). Therefore, I consider Manuel Zelaya to be the country's only legitimate president.

[Downwinder]

10. Does that include people escorted from their homes to the polls

by the police or military?

If I remember correctly Stalin claimed to be "Democratically Elected." The phrase can have different meanings. I was just trying to get your exact interpretation of the phrase. I notice that you didn't include free and open election in your paragraph..

If you are interested in multiple votes, I suggest you read Nevil Shute's, "In the Wet."

[Wilms]

4. Try closing your eyes, crossing your fingers, while jumping up and down.

Sometimes, that makes things true.

[protocol rv]

6. I tried it before, it doesn't work

I even learned to cross my toes while I jump. Do you deny Lobo was "democratically elected"? I didn't design democracy as it's practiced in most nations. I do find it a little odd you guys think a poll can resolve a fundamental issue such as amending a constitution. A constitution should never be amended by mere majority vote, after all, it's intended to protect the rights of the minority (or maybe you have a different idea?).

[Wilms]

7. You are the one who thinks a poll resolves a fundamental issue.

Serious people disagree, seriously. Do you want a link? I could post it for you later today as you might have missed the discussion a while back.

[DutchLiberal]

8. Another reason not to take you seriously at all...

Yeah, you're soooooo concerned with democracy in Venezuela, but at the same time you believe Lobo was "democratically elected"... :eyes:

Some democrat you are! :rofl:

[protocol rv]

16. Well, I did make my point, didn't I?

I keep hearing about Chavez being democratically elected at the same time he's dismantling democracy and shows himself to be a typical autocrat. Or maybe beyond typical...I don't know if you speak Spanish, but his ramblings on TV have become surreal.

Of course the Honduras elections were flawed. Kicking Zelaya out was an incredibly flawed move on the right wing's part. But this "resistance" is also made up of idiots. The reality is that Lobo was elected, flawed election or not. And the reality is the "resistance" isn't about to win an election as long as they call themselves the resistance, and are allied with Chavez and Castro. There's too much fear in the region when they see what is happening to Venezuela, for any of them to allow even a slight change. The extremism being displayed by radical communists in Latin America today is creating a battlefield. And because the communists are financed by Venezuela, and Venezuela's economy is going down in flames, the future of the left in Latin America is dim indeed.

The "resistance" should start by naming themselves as a political party, then prepare a platform for change, and work slowly to gather support. And avoid any relation with the Chavez or Castro camps. They should instead align with the Brazilian/Chilean/Uruguayan progressive models. I'm sure they can help out a lot more effectively than the communists in Havana - and hopefully the European left, if they see a viable and well organized party, can help them too. They should emphasize simple but effective changes to help the working class, such as controlling crime, which is terrible in Honduras, improving health care, and improving the judicial system - my experience is that in Latin America the rich commit more robberies of the white collar type than anywhere else in the universe, so it's reasonable to just insist the laws be followed. This focus on a new constitution is trash, they're so blatantly influenced by the Venezuelan government, they can't see their own noses.

That, anyway, is my analysis.