TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras awoke Monday with three
presidents: one just elected, one on vacation, and another hunkered down at the
Brazilian Embassy.
Manuel “Mel” Zelaya is claiming electoral fraud
from his perch at the embassy, while newly elected Porfirio “Pepe”
Lobo tries to convince the world that he is the legitimate president, even if
his election took place under a de facto regime denounced here and abroad.
“These elections were convened under a military
dictatorship,” Zelaya told McClatchy Newspapers in a telephone interview
Monday. “There has been violence against my supporters. The people in
charge of the Supreme Elections Tribunal are not independent; they were put
there by the coup leaders … . All these conditions do not create a fair
election.”
But there was some good news for Lobo on Monday. The United
States recognized his government without flat-out saying so. And Colombia,
Panama and Peru recognized his victory, as did Costa Rica. As more nations than
expected recognized Lobo’s triumph, the former congressman, cattle rancher and
University of Miami graduate was under greater pressure to take steps to show
he will end Honduras’ five-month political crisis.
Still, part of Lobo’s challenge would be getting the nod
from more countries. On Monday, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Venezuela said
they would not recognize the election.
“My campaign slogan was ‘change now,’ because I think
we all understand that we need to change now,” Lobo said at a news
conference Monday. “It’s important that we learn and move forward. If we
made mistakes in the past, then we need to do better from now on.”
Zelaya was shuttled out of the country at gunpoint on June
28 on charges that he violated several laws when pushing for a referendum —
outlawed by the Supreme Court — that would have asked voters if they supported
the creation of a special body to rewrite the constitution. Congress, the
Supreme Court, the attorney general, the military, and even Zelaya’s own party
saw the poll as a ruse designed to let him stay in power.
Zelaya sought refuge at the Brazilian Embassy two months ago
and has suggested he will remain there until his term is up Jan. 27. Congress
will vote Wednesday on whether to let Zelaya finish his term.
“I will not accept any decision by the Congress until
there is a political agreement beforehand,” Zelaya said. “Honduras
has to find a way out, and the only way to do that is through a national and political
dialogue.”
Zelaya added: “The election may have passed, but it’s
the same military officials, the same congress, the same people who worked
against me still in power, so what does this fix? Absolutely nothing.”
De facto President Roberto Micheletti took the week off,
saying he wanted the election to take place without any appearance of conflict.
Zelaya insisted that voter turnout was far lower than
announced. The Supreme Elections Tribunal said turnout was 61 percent, seven
percentage points higher than 2005. But Zelaya supporters say their count put
the figure closer to 40 percent.
“They are lying to the world,” said Elvia
Argentina Valle, a Liberal Party congresswoman who withdrew from her
re-election race.
Via McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
