Evans Politics

“Porfirio Lobo, a right-wing businessman and rancher, has been declared the president-elect of Honduras in a vote held after months of tensions following the overthrow of Manuel Zelaya in a military-led coup.

“Roberto Micheletti took over as interim president in June, claiming that Zelaya was trying to change the constitution to allow him to stay in power. The coup saw thousands of supporters on both sides take to the streets – while the two men tried to negotiate a peaceful outcome.

“Neither Zelaya nor Micheletti stood in Sunday’s presidential vote, which pitted Lobo against Elvin Santos, Zelaya’s former vice-president.

(Lobo’s supporters claim a large turnout, while Zelaya’s supporters claim there was mass boycotting of the election. The European Union and the Organization of American States refused to monitor the polls, probably out of protest, but there were around 300 observers. Evans Politics feels it is wrong of the U.S. to recognize Lobo’s government, since the elections may be considered illegal by some legal considerations. Zelaya was never allowed to finish out his constitutionally mandated term of office, while the U.S. stood by with pitifully minor sanctions against the right wing group that usurped power and deposed Zelaya. ~ Paul Evans)

“The decision by the US to support the vote’s result has infuriated Zelaya’s supporters, who say that Washington has backtracked on its previous statements condemning the coup.

“From Tegucigalpa, Lucia Newman reports.”