MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Honduras winning party with strong majority in Congress

Zelaya followers’ leader Barahona is calling for a constitutional assembly

Honduras November 29th election winner (Conservative) National party will have a clear majority in Congress according to the latest reports from the country’s electoral authorities.

Cattle rancher Porfirio Lobo, 61, should thus have a greater margin to try and find a quick way out from the political and social crisis in which one of Latinamerica’s poorest countries is submerged, aggravated by the ousting of President Manuel Zelaya last June.

The latest Electoral Office reports indicate Mr. Lobo will count with 77 seats of the 128 in the one House congress and the Liberal party (to which belong deposed Zelaya and de facto leader Roberto Micheletti) 44. The remaining 13 are split among smaller parties.

“When Porfirio Lobo takes office with the number of benches he has he will obtain control of Congress that should enable him a greater capacity to decide on policies to be adopted by his administration”, said Denis Gomez, a magistrate from the Electoral Office.

Zelaya who is holed in at the Brazilian embassy has called on his fellow Hondurans not to recognize the elections results, while demanding his immediate unconditional reinstatement into office. However the current Congress overwhelmingly denied Zelaya such an opportunity.

The issue has split countries in the hemisphere with United States together with Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica and Panama supporting the election results as a possible way out to the political crisis, but the rest of the continent headed by Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela strongly refuse to accept such an option.

Meantime followers of Mr. Zelaya under the banner Resistance Front against the Coup said they would cease from demanding their leader’s reinstatement but will insist n calling a constitutional assembly.

“We will continue the struggle but only for the constitutional assembly, not reinstatement”, said Juan Barahona head of the resistance front.

It was precisely the promotion to draft a new constitution which contemplates social changes and presidential re-election that sparked the ousting of Zelaya last June, voted by Congress and ordered by the Supreme Court with implementation by the military.

“Not even Zelaya wants his reinstatement after the vote in Congress (111 against and only 4 in favour), but we will continue organizing from grassroots upwards to promote amendments to the constitution”, added Barahona.