TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras—Flipping through a stack of legal opinions and holding up a detention order signed by a Supreme Court judge, the chief lawyer of the Honduran armed forces insisted that what soldiers carried out over the weekend when they detained President Manuel Zelaya was no coup d’état.A coup is a political move,” the lawyer, Col. Herberth Bayardo Inestroza Membreño, said Tuesday night in an interview. “It requires the armed forces to assume power over the country, which didn’t happen, and it has to break the rule of law, which didn’t happen either.”Governments around the world have decided differently, labeling Mr. Zelaya’s removal an illegal act and calling for his prompt return to power. On Monday, the day after the coup, President Obama said: “We believe that the coup was not legal and that President Zelaya remains the president of Honduras, the democratically elected president there.”
Honduras has been issued an ulimatum on restoring Zeleya, but how is this going to happen if the country refuses? Zeleya had claimed he would return on Thursday but now it is saying the weekend. If Obama had any sense outside of the leftists worldview he has adopted he might recognize Zeleya for what he is, an authoritarian in alliance with the facist Chavez.
>>> but now it is saying the weekend.
ReplyDeleteFirst Kim's missiles and now this. 4th of July just ain't the same with Prez Obeyme in charge.
The removal of President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales of the Armed Forces in the early hours of Sunday June 28, breaks the paradigms of contemporary political history of Latin America. For the first time in the era of post Cold War (1989 to date), an army deposes a democratically elected constitutional president, to restore the rule of law, not to break the rule of law in a country, as was characteristic of the military in the past.
ReplyDeleteThis case can not be classed as a "coup d'etat," because it does not comply with two fundamental characteristics of this political phenomenon: seizure of power by the military and the breakdown of rule of law. The action taken by the Armed Forces of Honduras was based on a court order and his purpose was to restore the rule of law, which was being consistently violated by the President of the Executive, to disregard the provisions of Judiciary and the Legislature (checks and balances). After the intervention of the Armed Forces, the Constitution is still in force and the succession of power established by the Magna Carta has been fully respected appointing a new constitutional president.
And is that from the standpoint of politics, Honduras yesterday laid a precedent, which no doubt will become a case study of universities, politicians and diplomats around the world .. For the first time in Latin America, the people will revolt without bloodshed and without violence, against a constitutional and democratically elected President, for violating laws and institutions in the country.
That's why the international press, international agencies and governments around the world, still have not understood the context and substance of this case and are condemning what happened in Honduras, as they are analyzed based on concepts of old paradigm of coups d'etat during the Cold War. The international community, public and private, has not yet had the time or the elements, to realize that Honduras broke a pattern and that there is completely sui generis.
The lesson gave Honduras the world yesterday was clear: even if a President has been elected democratically and legitimately has no right to disobey the Constitution and laws of the Republic. The people are no longer willing to tolerate such abuse of power by the constitutional President, often considered untouchable by the very fact of having been elected by the people. Honduras message is simple: the popular vote does not include a license to commit crime, and any effort to govern for the common good should be within the framework of the law.
Probably not even Hondurans have realized the magnitude of what they did yesterday. Over the days, months and years they will be assimilating and understanding the dimensions of the new paradigm they have sat, with a resounding message to friends and strangers about what is the future for constitutional dictators and their apprentices.
Can not be overlooked in the understanding of the peculiar situation in Honduras the content of Article 4 and 239 of its Constitution.
ARTICLE 4
The form of government is republican, democratic and representative. Is exercised by three branches: legislative, executive and judicial, and independent and complementary relationship of subordination. Alternation in the presidency of the Republic is required. Violation of this rule constitutes the crime of treason.
ARTICLE 239
The citizen who has been the head of the executive branch may not be President or Designee.
Anyone who violates this provision or the proposed reform, and support those who directly or indirectly, immediately cease the discharge of their duties, and shall be disqualified for ten years to exercise any public function.
Not only must be verified and supported democracy in their home but must also focus on the global stage is equally important that the democratic mandate and that any elected government must respect the Constitution on the basis of which he was elected.
Honduras is moving forward with democracy. People in Honduras are working and return to their normal lives.
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteI was leaving Honduras the day before the congress ordered the military to remove the president from office. I had been there filming for a resort project.
I am going to get a wee bit political here.
When I was in Honduras I spoke with quite a few locals about the developing situation. They, to a person, all said he (the president Zelaya) had done very little in terms of being constructive for 3 years and had seemed to be spending a great deal of time becoming chums with Chavez in Venezuela.
Honduras has only single 4 year presidential term limits as stated in an irrevocable part of their constitution, unless so agreed by something like a 2/3 majority vote by their congress. The Honduran president Zelaya was trying to get/use the military to organize a referendum to extend his term limit even though the congress of Honduras had said in was unconstitutional and illegal.
The president had during the previous three years been also trying get the Honduran Military to be loyal only to him by giving them all raises, additional equipment and better accommodations. I am told he seemed to be trying to "buy" their loyalty. He then fired the head of the military recently for not backing him up and supporting his unconstitutional and illegal referendum.
He apparently had miscalculated and had thought he had “bought” the military. The Congress told the president that he had to reinstate the Head of the Military because he had fired him without legal cause and it was a wrongful dismissal.
It was the Congress of Honduras who later ordered the military to arrest and then deport the president to Costa Rica. I don’t think it was the smartest move but it did serve its purpose. It may have been better to just charge him with treason or subversion of the government.
It was not a “Military D’état” or even an overthrow of the government. There is now no Military leader of the country of Honduras. It is someone from his own Party who is backed up by the congress who is standing up to the intense world pressure to put Zelaya back in office even as Zelaya continues to plan to illegally extend his term.
Why does the world press keep playing it that way? Why is Chavez so eager to help get Zelaya back in power? Why are they being given a deadline for reinstatement of their unpopular and self serving president by the same members of the Organization of American States who want to admit the Dictatorship of Cuba into its ranks?
I think this all stinks and the world press needs to do more homework rather than allow itself to be spoon fed lies.
Sincerely
Leo
I agree I was so disappointed when this morning I saw that CNN was only giving a one sided look at the problems in Honduras. They only showed the side of people backing the ex-president, the violent and angry mob. They did not show that there are people who agree with the removal of the Ex-president which are a vast majority or the peaceful demonstration they did to show the support to the new government. I have always watched CNN because I thought they gave an unbiased look at the story but I am sincerely disappointed at the way they are reporting what is happening in Honduras. It makes me sincerely doubt all I have ever believed before.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Honduras many times and married a honduran man but in my life besides my own country which is the us have i ever felt so proud to also be latin, just seeing the way all these people are fighting for their country. To be able to be free not only for themselves but for the future of their children. This is to CNN who has accused these people of being paid to march in favor of their new president, what is wrong with you??? We here in the united states have always fought for freedom and peace we set an example to other countries like iraq and when we see a small country doing exactly that this is what we have to say. They have every right to fight for freedom and not end up like cuba or venezuela!! I say its about time someone stood up to these corrupt governments and I hope to God these Manuel Zelaya does not come back!! Like they say "FUERA MEL"!!!I applaud all these people for what they are doing and wish every other country had the courage to do the same...because if we all did this world would be a better place!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Organization of American States has no moral quality or judicial couple forcing a sovereign country and independent as Honduras someone that has been abandoned. We learn what Chavez said of the OAS and the own Insulsa files. Mel said it was a Stupid things of the OAS. Now if as their interest at the of "Dawn" want to ruin , manipulate but will not be able to. Six months and want to go fast.
ReplyDeleteThe current body of goverment wants support from the other countries when they invade a standing president's home ship him to another country, read a false resignation letter, and swear his successor of the opposide party as the president.ummm...
ReplyDeleteThe outside world could have been more understanding if he was arrested and put on trial as any person that violates the counrty laws instead of exile and then not allow to returned.