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Caribbean-Latin America |
The Path Forward for Honduras |
2009-07-28 |
Zelaya's removal from office was a triumph for the rule of law. By Roberto Micheletti One of America's most loyal Latin American allies--Honduras--has been in the midst of a constitutional crisis that threatens its democracy. Sadly, key undisputed facts regarding the crisis have often been ignored by America's leaders, at least during the earliest days of the crisis. In recent days, the rhetoric from allies of former President Manuel Zelaya has also dominated media reporting in the U.S. The worst distortion is the repetition of the false statement that Mr. Zelaya was removed from office by the military and for being a "reformer." The truth is that he was removed by a democratically elected civilian government because the independent judicial and legislative branches of our government found that he had violated our laws and constitution. Let's review some fundamental facts that cannot be disputed:
Regarding the decision to expel Mr. Zelaya from the country the evening of June 28 without a trial, reasonable people can believe the situation could have been handled differently. But it is also necessary to understand the decision in the context of genuine fear of Mr. Zelaya's proven willingness to violate the law and to engage in mob-led violence. The way forward is to work with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. He is proposing ways to ensure that Mr. Zelaya complies with Honduras's laws and its constitution and allows the people of Honduras to elect a new president in the regularly scheduled Nov. 29 elections (or perhaps earlier, if the date is moved up as President Arias has suggested and as Honduran law allows). If all parties reach agreement to allow Mr. Zelaya to return to Honduras--a big "if"--we believe that he cannot be trusted to comply with the law and therefore it is our position that he must be prosecuted with full due process. President Arias's proposal for a moratorium on prosecution of all parties may be considered, but our Supreme Court has indicated that such a proposal presents serious legal problems under our constitution. Like America, our constitutional democracy has three co-equal and independent branches of government--a fact that Mr. Zelaya ignored when he openly defied the positions of both the Supreme Court and Congress. But we are ready to continue discussions once the Supreme Court, the attorney general and Congress analyze President Arias's proposal. That proposal has been turned over to them so that they can review provisions that impact their legal authority. Once we know their legal positions we will proceed accordingly. The Honduran people must have confidence that their Congress is a co-equal branch of government. They must be assured that the rule of law in Honduras applies to everyone, even their president, and that their Supreme Court's orders will not be dismissed and swept aside by other nations as inconvenient obstacles. Meanwhile, the other elements of the Arias proposal, especially the establishment of a Truth Commission to make findings of fact and international enforcement mechanisms to ensure Mr. Zelaya complies with the agreement, are worthy of serious consideration. Mr. Zelaya's irresponsible attempt on Friday afternoon to cross the border into Honduras before President Arias has obtained agreement from all parties--an attempt that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appropriately described as "reckless"--was just another example of why Mr. Zelaya cannot be trusted to keep his word. Regardless of what happens, the worst thing the U.S. can do is to impose economic sanctions that would primarily hurt the poorest people in Honduras. Rather than impose sanctions, the U.S. should continue the wise policies of Mrs. Clinton. She is supporting President Arias's efforts to mediate the issues. The goal is a peaceful solution that is consistent with Honduran law in a civil society where even the president is not above the law. Mr. Micheletti, previously the president of the Honduran Congress, became president of Honduras upon the departure of Manuel Zelaya. He is a member of the Liberal Party, the same party as Mr. Zelaya. |
Posted by:Steve White |
#3 But the referendum never happened, Grerelet Bucket6078. The Honduran Supreme Court sent the army to arrest President Zelaya to prevent exactly that eventuality. I can't remember if the ballots -- already loaded in the voting machines -- were found in the presidential palace or were still in Hugo's warehouses across the border. |
Posted by: trailing wife 2009-07-28 22:51 |
#2 Impeccable logic shown by the Hondurand branches of government....zayala is a pawn of bobo the wanna be leader of the international. the same international that provided cover for kim, and stalin, and mao, and pol pot...these guys have a record, its theirs alone and from where all of us sit...it taint worth a damn. venezuelan people should have the courage to ferret out the ballots bobo falsified to win his own referrendum. |
Posted by: Grerelet Bucket6078 2009-07-28 16:15 |
#1 They must be assured that the rule of law in Honduras applies to everyone, even their president Perhaps this is what has Obama upset, it sets a precedent against crooks like him. |
Posted by: OldSpook 2009-07-28 10:03 |