US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA2337

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 002337 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC, WHA/USOAS, AND DRL/PHD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CEN AND DCHA/DG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAN ELECTIONS NEWS: UPDATE 14 
 
REF: Tegucigalpa 2327 and previous 
 
FOPRIDEH Urges Voters to Cross Vote 
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1.  The umbrella NGO Federation of Development Organizations 
of Honduras (FOPRIDEH) is conducting a voter education 
campaign, partially funded by USAID's Bureau for Latin 
America and the Caribbean (LAC), called "Educational Campaign 
for Elections 2005.  The motto of the campaign is "You can 
cross your vote" and encourages voters not to vote strictly 
on party lines.  FOPRIDEH urges the public to actively 
consider the wide variety of Congressional candidates from 
the five parties instead of voting for all the candidates 
from one specific party, as was the only option under the old 
system.  This could be a somewhat daunting task in the larger 
departments since Congressmen are elected at-large.  For 
example, in Francisco Morazan, voters need to consider 115 
candidates vying for the 23 seats.  In previous elections, 
voters cast one vote amongst the five contesting parties. 
Seats were determined proportionally by party vote, with the 
winning candidates assigned by the party list in rank order. 
Since the parties controlled the makeup and order of the 
party list, candidates were beholden to the political parties 
rather than to the electorate. 
 
2.  The Director of FOPRIDEH, Jose Leon Aguilar, said that 
the aim of the campaign is to change the public's attitude 
about straight ticket voting.  Furthermore, Aguilar stated, 
as the result of the new Electoral Law, Hondurans now have 
the opportunity to choose their candidates and make the 
elected officials more responsive to their electorate.  In 
doing so, Aquilar believes the voting public will select the 
best qualified candidates, who will in turn, improve the make 
up of the National Congress. 
 
3.  In its campaign, FOPRIDEH is utilizing banners and 
posters, and is buying newspaper and television ads, to 
educate the general public.  In addition, it will provide 
citizens with sample electoral ballots specific to their 
department to inform the voters on the numbers of seats to be 
elected from their respective department.  This education 
campaign is critical since every department has a different 
number of congressional seats, and voters who exceed this 
number in completing their ballots will have their vote 
nullified. 
 
4. National Party congressional candidate and key campaign 
operative David Matamoros complained to PolChief about the 
campaign, saying there was noting wrong with straight ticket 
voting.  PolChief concurred that this was still a legitimate 
option for voters, but that the goal of the campaign was to 
educate voters about their increased options under the new 
Electoral Law. 
 
Public Ministry To Monitor Possible Voting List Problems 
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5.  The Public Ministry (MP) appears ready to intervene in 
situations potentially involving voting list irregularities. 
To demonstrate this, Attorney General Leonidas Rosa Bautista 
personally picked up the official electoral census from the 
National Registry of Persons (RNP).  Delegates of the Human 
Rights Commissioner were also present and likewise were given 
copies of the list.  However, the Attorney General publicly 
stated that the MP will not take any action on complaints 
filed against any of the candidates until after the 
elections. 
 
6.  RNP Director Mario Aguilar Gonzales explained that the 
voting list contains the registry of all Hondurans who will 
be able to vote in the November general elections, including 
those who changed their domicile and first time voters.  At a 
meeting between the MP and RNP, the Office of the Special 
Prosecutor for Human Rights was selected to serve as liaison 
between both institutions.  This office will be in charge of 
noting all reported irregularities regarding voting 
identities.  The list was also handed over to representatives 
of each of the five political parties. 
 
7.  National Party politician Matamoros complained to 
PolChief about the voting list November 16, saying that there 
were still many problems to be resolved with the list. 
 
Parties Receive Policy Whitepaper from Catholic Cardinal 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
8.  In a ceremony presided over by Roman Catholic Cardinal 
Oscar Andres Rodriguez and Juan Ferrera, Secretary of the 
National Unity Forum (FONAC), the five presidential 
candidates or their representatives received a document 
entitled "A Nation's Vision."   FONAC prepared the document, 
which is meant to serve as a guidepost for action by future 
elected leaders.  Three presidential candidates were present 
at the event: Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo (National Party), Dr. Juan 
Almendares (Democratic Unification Party), and Juan Ramon 
Martinez (Christian Democratic Party).  The Liberal Party was 
represented by Congressman Jorge Arturo Reina and the Party 
for Innovation and National Unity by VP candidate Olga 
Morales Galindo. 
 
9.  During his remarks, Cardinal Rodriguez said that this 
vision for the nation must be acted on and challenged the 
presidential candidates to sign the document and make a 
commitment to the entire nation to implement it.  Further, he 
specifically spoke of the matter of justice in Honduras, and 
noted that if injustice is addressed, then corruption will 
decrease.  All five political parties signed "A Nation's 
Vision" at a ceremony the week after the presidential 
candidates received the document. 
 
TSE Opens Electoral Operations Warehouse 
 
SIPDIS 
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10.  The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) opened an election 
operations warehouse at the National Institute of 
Professional Education (INFOP).  The same facility was used 
during the February primary elections and was recently 
visited by PolOffs and AIDOffs.  The TSE is hiring some 300 
temporary workers to help prepare for the election and to 
organize materials for each of the nearly 14,000 electoral 
tables throughout the country. 
 
11.  TSE Magistrate Jacobo Hernandez said that all temporary 
workers that will be hired to handle electoral materials will 
be very carefully screened due to the sensitivity of the 
material.  Some examples of the information/material handled 
by the TSE are:  12 million ballots, the voting list, the 
electoral notebooks, and general office supplies needed for 
tens of thousands of poll workers.  According to the 
electoral calendar, election materials will be distributed 
one week prior to the November 27 general election. 
 
12.  To protect the integrity of election materials, the 
military is providing physical security at the election 
operations warehouse at INFOP and at the four companies 
printing the election ballots.  In total, around 9,000 
members of the Honduran Armed Forces will be entrusted with 
the custody of the election materials throughout the nation. 
 
UD presents financial statements to the TSE 
------------------------------------------- 
 
13.  Officials of the Democratic Unification Party (UD) 
submitted a financial disclosure statement to the TSE as 
required by Electoral Law.  The financial statement covers 
the period from 2001 to the present.  UD was represented by 
Martin Pineda, general campaign director, who was accompanied 
by Congresswoman Doris Gutierrez, Alternate Congressman 
Rafael Alegria, and Carlos del Cid, the candidate for Mayor 
of Tegucigalpa. 
 
14.  The UD leaders noted that all political parties must do 
likewise as required by Law.  Further, they spoke of the need 
for transparency, especially with regards to the campaign 
financing of the two major parties.  The Liberal and National 
Parties have just submitted their financial statements to the 
TSE (see forthcoming septel). 
 
SIPDIS 
 
Ford