After Honduras Military Coup, Manuel Zelaya Considers Running For President Again

[Judi Lynn]

After Honduras Military Coup, Manuel Zelaya Considers Running For President Again

By Clark Mindock @clarkmindock On 05/26/16 AT 9:19 AM

The former president of Honduras who was ousted in a 2009 military coup has plans to take back his post. Manuel Zelaya said he’s thinking about running for president in the next election if he can gain the support of his party.

The announcement has reignited a debate around presidential term limits, which have proved contentious in the Central American nation, TelsurvTV reported Wednesday. Currently, more than one presidential term in Honduras is prohibited.

Zelaya, who became president in 2006 and served until he was ousted in June 2009, announced recently the left-wing Libre Party has said it’s OK for him to begin asking party members at internal elections if they support his bid if the opposing right-wing party pushes to re-elect President Juan Orlando Hernandez. Those internal deliberations will occur in late October. The election will be held roughly a year later in 2017. A Hernandez re-election bid has not been confirmed officially.



The notion Hernandez would break from custom and attempt to regain on power is notable. At least part of the rationale for kicking Zelaya out of office in 2009 stemmed from accusations he was planning on manipulating the country’s constitution to extend his presidency. He had scheduled a referendum in the next election to organize a constituent assembly to consider that possibility.

More:
http://www.ibtimes.com/after-honduras-military-coup-manuel-zelaya-considers-running-president-again-2374456

[Judi Lynn]

1. Honduras: Coup-toppled Zelaya may stand for president again

Honduras: Coup-toppled Zelaya may stand for president again

May Friday 27th 2016
posted by James Tweedie in World



TOPPLED Honduran president Manuel Zelaya has announced plans to run for office again next year — if the incumbent does the same. Latin American media reported late on Wednesday that “Mel” Zelaya, the popular leader deposed in 2009’s US-backed coup d’etat, would be on the ballot paper in his Liberty and Refoundation (Libre) party’s presidential candidate elections.

The Libre party was founded in 2011 by the National Popular Resistance Front, a coalition of organisations that opposed the coup. Mr Zelaya’s wife Xiomara Castro was the party’s candidate in the 2013 presidential election, coming second with 29 per cent of the vote to 34 per cent for coup candidate Juan Orlando Hernandez.

The ruling National Party hinted in March that Mr Hernandez may seek office for a second time after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional one-term limit last year.

Mr Zelaya’s calling of an indicative, non-binding plebiscite on forming a constituent assembly to discuss term limits, on the day of the 2009 presidential election in which he was not standing, was used as to justify the coup.

More:
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-a289-Honduras-Coup-toppled-Zelaya-may-stand-for-president-again#.V0eGieQo4q0