MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Honduras considers political amnesty for all those involved in June coup

Congress president Alfredo Saavedra made the announcement with Porfirio Lobo

The Honduras congress and president-elect Porfirio Lobo agreed to consider extending a political amnesty to all those involved in the June 28th coup against ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Alfredo Saavedra president of Congress said that the plan is to name a committee of house members with the incorporation of legal experts to consider extending a political amnesty which will dialogue with representatives from different sectors of the country, and then finally draft a bill to make the initiative effective.

The purpose is to open “a great national debate” on “such a sensitive issue” because an amnesty “imposed from outside without national consensus does not solve anything at all”, said Saavedra.

The announcement was done by the Congress leader following a meeting with president elect conservative Porfirio Lobo. He described the issue as “urgent” but admitted that a timetable can’t be imposed on such a sensitive issue which needs national consensus.

Lobo pointed out that if the amnesty is finally approved it will only cover “political crimes” not ordinary crimes “because corruption linked issues can never be the subject of an amnesty. He added amnesty would be voluntary: “only those who wished could appeal to the mechanism”

The president elect insisted that the “Honduran family needs peace” and national reconciliation to overcome the political crisis motivated by the ousting of Zelaya.

“We all have to forgive each other, and (with the amnesty) the sooner the better” because it’s a message of prudence for the international community.

Since the June coup, Honduras one of the poorest countries of Latinamerica and which depends on foreign aid has seen all grants and trade benefits suspended.