US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA2385

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 002385 
 
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 16 
 
REF: (A) Tegucigalpa 2372 
 
     (B) Tegucigalpa 2346 and previous 
 
Active Campaigning Ends at Midnight, November 21 
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1.  As of midnight, November 21, the Electoral Law dictates 
the formal end of the 90 days permitted campaigning.  The 
cessation of active campaigning comes one week prior to 
Election Day, which is November 27. According to the law, a 
fine of 100,000 lempiras (USD 5,300) can be assessed per 
violation.  The law is applicable to the five political 
parties, all candidates, and political leaders.  However, it 
is still permissible for candidates to explain their 
government plans to the media.  Some observers welcomed the 
silence, wearied by an extremely rancorous and negative 
campaign. 
 
All Parties Present Government Plans/Financial Statements 
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2.  With only days to spare, all five political parties 
presented their government plans and financial statements to 
the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) by last week as required 
by the Electoral Law.  The three small parties, the 
Democratic Unification Party (UD), the Innovation and 
National Unity Party (PINU), and the Christian Democratic 
Party (CD), submitted the information to the TSE well in 
advance.  However, the two main political parties, the 
Liberal Party and the governing National Party, submitted 
their financial statements and government plans just days 
prior to the deadline. 
 
TSE Slowly Accrediting Domestic Election Observers 
 
SIPDIS 
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3.  The TSE is slowly accrediting the thousands of domestic 
election observers from civil society.  (The TSE allowed a 
small number of domestic observers to participate in the 
primary elections last February 2005, and after weeks of 
political wrangling approved a regulation for participation 
in the general elections on November 16.)  EmbOffs have 
repeatedly spoken out on behalf of civil society to underline 
the importance of domestic election observers to safeguard 
the integrity of the electoral process.  EmbOffs have also 
emphasized that these observers must be completely impartial. 
 
Women's Groups Criticize Political Parties 
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4.  Some politically active women have protested the failure 
of the political parties to have at least 30 percent of their 
candidates be women as required by the Electoral Law.  A 
number of women's organizations have commented that the 
political participation of women on the ballots for the 
upcoming General Elections is not significant.  They allege 
that none of the five parties met the quota.  Feminist groups 
have threatened to bring suit against Honduras in 
international courts to highlight the lack of participation 
of women in the political arena.  Despite these complaints, 
Post believes female congressional candidates will likely 
have better success than in past elections (see ref B). 
 
Tropical Storm Flooding Complicates Caribbean Coast Voting 
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5.  The TSE has said it cannot guarantee that the electoral 
process will be conducted without problems in areas of the 
country severely damaged by Tropical Depression Gamma.  Most 
of the designated voting centers have been turned into 
shelters for the thousands of people who lost their homes in 
the region.  The TSE is expecting a report from the Permanent 
Commission of Contingencies (COPECO) regarding the possible 
use of the voting centers on Election Day.  The TSE is hoping 
COPECO will inform them shortly whether they can use the 
voting centers or whether they will have to look for 
alternative sites in the area.  The floods also wiped out a 
bridge on the main road from El Progresso to Tela. 
 
Supreme Court's Still to Decide on Lobo Ally's Candidacy 
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6.  The Supreme Court has still not issued a decision as to 
the eligibility the congressional candidacy of Juan Orlando 
Hernandez, Secretary of the Congress.  Hernandez, a close 
political ally of National Party presidential candidate 
Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, is up for re-election in the Department 
of Lempira.  Some have objected to Hernandez's presence on 
the ballot due to his close family ties with a magistrate on 
the Supreme Court.  Election Law prohibits people from 
running for public office if they have strong connections to 
members of the Judiciary.   Should Hernandez's candidacy be 
disqualified, which Post judges to be unlikely at this stage, 
the designated alternate candidate will take his place on the 
ballot in Lempira. 
Cost of Overseas Voting Reduced 
------------------------------- 
 
7. To support overseas voting, the GOH will spend 
approximately 230 lempiras (USD 12) for each Honduran citizen 
who registered to vote from abroad in the upcoming General 
Election.  This amount is substantially lower, about one- 
seventh in fact, of the cost of extending the franchise to 
overseas voters in 2001.  In that year, the Honduran 
government spent about 1,700 lempiras for each of the nearly 
8,000 citizens who registered to vote from abroad.  No 
explanation has been given for how the GOH was able to reduce 
expenses so dramatically. 
 
Ford