US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA2051

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002051 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC, WHA/USOAS, AND DRL/PHD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAM AND DCHA/DG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAN ELECTIONS NEWS: UPDATE 6 
 
REF: (A) Tegucigalpa 1984 
 
     (B) Tegucigalpa 1968 
     (C) Tegucigalpa 1949 
     (D) Tegucigalpa 1680 
     (E) Tegucigalpa 1665 
 
Lobo Ally's Congressional Candidacy Now Official 
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1. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) officially approved 
the inscription of the Congressional candidacy in the 
Department of Lempira for Juan Orlando Hernandez, a National 
Party congressman.  The TSE made its decision official 
September 29, but the likely decision was clear for some 
time.  The vote on the verdict was two to one; Aristides 
Mejia, President of the TSE and a Liberal Party member, voted 
against the inscription.  He argued that he believes the 
Constitution should have prevailed, and not international 
human rights agreements. 
 
2. Disqualification in this case was sought due to Juan 
Orlando Hernandez' familial relationship to Supreme Court 
Justice Maria Elena Matute.  Juan Orlando Hernandez is the 
current Secretary of Congress (Majority Whip) and is a close 
confidant of President of Congress and National Party 
presidential candidate Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo.  The Supreme 
Court had previously thrown out a number of challenges to 
Hernandez's candidacy.  Now the Honduran Bar Association is 
threatening to oppose the registration of Juan Orlando 
Hernandez. 
 
Investigators Find Call Centers Damaged Zelaya's Image 
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3. The Public Ministry's office of Common Crimes has 
confirmed that political call centers (Consultores y 
Proveedores de Servicios para el Desarrollo - COPRODE) 
affiliated with the National Party were used to damage the 
image of the Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel 
"Mel" Zelaya.  On August 4, public investigators were 
assigned to investigate a case of possible electoral crime. 
They investigated the offices of COPRODE, located in the 
building that houses the National Register of Persons (RNP). 
 
4. Investigators determined  that calls were made with 
questions designed to denigrate the image Zelaya to influence 
the receiver to vote for his rival candidate, Pepe Lobo.  The 
COPRODE call center was run by Marco Antonio Bonilla, nephew 
of Pompello Bonilla, former campaign manager for Lobo. 
According to the Public Ministry, Article 72, number 5 of the 
Electoral Law (prohibiting actions on the part of the parties 
which denigrate other parties or their candidates) was 
violated.  Prosecutors are looking for other possible actions 
which would tie COPRODE to the National Party and could 
constitute additional charges. 
 
5. The Liberal Party candidate, Mel Zelaya, has demanded that 
that criminal charges be brought against the National Party. 
In addition he says he will ask the magistrates of the TSE to 
condemn the call center's actions. 
 
National Party asks TSE to Investigate Liberal Party Funds 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
6. The National Party has requested the TSE to investigate 
Liberal Party funds so that their sources are identified. 
National Party authorities also asked the TSE to have the 
Liberal Party campaign director, Dr. Hugo Noe Pino removed 
from his position.  National Party authorities claimed that 
Noe Pino, as president of the Honduran Central Bank, was 
responsible the banking collapse during Carlos Flores 
Facusse's administration from 1994 to 1998, due to his 
dismantling of the Banking Superintendency.  Press reports 
allege this action is President Ricardo Maduro's response to 
the petition of the four other parties to remove his 
Ministers of Public Security and Defense from the Political 
Commission of the National Party. 
 
Williard