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Strong popular rejection at start of
electoral campaign in Honduras
TEGUCIGALPA, August 31.—The campaign for the general
elections on November 29 in Honduras officially
began today and has been rejected by extensive
social sectors opposed to the military coup that
took place last June 28.
 In
a communiqué released prior to the start of the
campaign, the National Anti-Coup Front confirmed
that staging elections without restoring
constitutional order would be to legalize military
violence against the state and, therefore, is
unacceptable, PL reports.
The
Front has decided not to recognize the campaign, the
process or the electoral results if democracy and
Manuel Zelaya, the constitutional president, are not
restored.
A
similar position has been adopted by independent
presidential candidate Carlos Humberto Reyes, who
called on all non-coup candidates at all levels to
withdraw from the electoral process if the
dictatorship is maintained.
The
Democratic Unification Party – that proposed Deputy
César Ham – also stated that it will not participate
in elections under the conditions of the military
coup, in agreement with legislator Marvin Ponce.
To
date, the only presidential campaigns to have
started are those of the two traditional parties:
Elvin Santos, of the Liberal Party, and Porfirio
Lobo, of the conservative National Party.
The
other two presidential candidates are Felícito
Avila, of the small Christian Democrat Party, and
Bernard Martínez from the Social Democratic
Innovation and Unity Party, with a sector opposed to
the de facto government.
Meanwhile, the Front announced that it is to
strengthen the structures of resistance to the most
distant corners of the country in order to demand
the restoration of the state of law.
Israel Salinas, general secretary of the United
Workers Federation, announced that for this purpose,
a rally has been organized for next Sunday in the
capital with representatives from all over the
nation.
Translated by Granma International
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