US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA2125

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002125 
 
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 9 
 
REF: Tegucigalpa 2067 and previous 
 
National Party Candidates Want Lobo's Photo on the Ballot 
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1. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has approved the 
National Party using the photograph of their presidential 
candidate, Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, instead of the usual party 
flag as the party's symbol on the ballot to elect the members 
of the National Congress.  Liberal Party members had objected 
to the plan and argued that the parties' symbols would become 
personalized.  Some Honduran electoral law experts argue that 
this action is not only against the law, which calls for 
using the party flag on the ballot, but also against the 
spirit of the reform which entails voting directly for the 
individual.  They argue that including the photograph of the 
presidential candidate on the congressional ballot could 
mislead the voters. 
 
Controversy Over Romero's Replacement on Ballot 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
2. The TSE approved the inscription of Mario Pineda in the 
position of second city councilman in the National Party 
ballot for the Tegucigalpa municipality.  The position was 
vacated by Ramon Romero, former director of Immigration, who 
resigned from the position due to his pending legal case 
regarding the Immigration scandal.  Mario Pineda, former 
director of the Honduran Fund for Social Investment (FHIS) 
was chosen by Ricardo Alvarez, National Party candidate for 
mayor, to replace Romero.  The president of the TSE, 
Aristides Mejia, said that the Electoral Law is clear that it 
is the responsibility of the parties to designate the 
substitutes for city councilmen. 
 
3. Anunciacion Juarez, who finished in 11th place in the 
municipal primaries (only the top 10 councilmen can move on 
to the general elections in the city of Tegucigalpa) says 
that in the event a councilman resigns, it is fair that he be 
the replacement.  Juarez also alleges that Pineda was 
appointed by the National Party while he was still working 
for the GOH.  (Note: The Electoral Law says that candidates 
running for office must leave their government positions six 
months before the general elections.  End Note.)  Juarez says 
that if the Central Committee of the National Party does not 
resolve this situation to his satisfaction he will bring 
charges before the Supreme Court. 
 
800 ID Cards Found Discarded in Tegucigalpa 
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4. The Attorney General's office confiscated some 800 
national ID cards found in a Tegucigalpa neighborhood.  The 
ID cards were scattered all over the area and it is possible 
that they were stolen from the National Registry of Persons 
(RNP).  A police team from the General Direction of Criminal 
Investigation (DGIC) inspected the site and the documents. 
The ID cards belonged to people from departments all over 
Honduras.  Mario Aguilar Gonzales, Director of the RNP, said 
that he assumes that the ID cards were stolen from the 
vehicles which run errands for the RNP.  It is also 
speculated that political activists took the cards to destroy 
them.  This has allegedly been a common practice among 
political activists. Corruption Prosecutor Ana Sagastume has 
announced that the Attorney General's office will be asking 
Gonzales to testify in this case.  This case may be 
considered as negligence and/or violation of government 
employee responsibilities. 
 
Liberals: We Can Detect Electoral Fraud 
--------------------------------------- 
 
5. The Liberal Party says that it has technical and human 
resources to detect any manipulation of the voting list to 
prevent fraud in the next elections of November 2005.  Hugo 
Noe Pino, coordinator of the Liberal Party campaign, made the 
comments after discussion of a possible manipulation in the 
voting list by the RNP and the TSE. 
 
Williard