Resistance Will Boycott Election Day

The Resistance Front that unites followers of ousted President Manuel Zelaya concentrated efforts for their campaign to boycott “peacefully” Sunday’s election under the supervision of thousands of soldiers and police deployed to prevent any violence or intimidation.

“Fighting is organizing a boycott of elections in the 298 municipalities within 18 departments in the country, cities and neighborhoods and settlements with a defined strategy for each area,” John Baker, coordinator of the movement said.

Roberto Micheletti’s government expects the elections will allow people to move beyond the crisis and turn the page by getting the international community to recognize the president that they elect to take power on January 27th.

“The call to the Resistance is to not vote for any of the candidates of the five parties, including the U.D.” said Baker, after the leftist Democratic Unification Party agreed at a meeting on Saturday that their presidential candidate, Cesar Ham, will participate in elections.

Baker stressed that the strategy includes “peaceful actions” and denied involvement in the resistance of 30 attacks with grenades and homemade explosive devices that have not caused major material damage, but which have in recent days registered intimidation within communities.

“At municipal levels, within cities, capitals, districts and neighborhoods we are organizing resistance to persuade people not to vote, even though there are various initiatives attempting to destroy the political propaganda,” he added.

At the same time, the Resistance Front supports the withdrawal of 27 candidates from various parties.

A statement from the Front denounced the “mobilization of military forces throughout the country, with weapons and field equipment, surpassing any previous preparation which has been done before an electoral process in the past.” “The preparations of the Armed Forces include the recruitment of mercenaries within which there is a strong contingent of reservists, and adequate hospitals and clinics for medical care of those soldiers and policemen involved in violence against the population” he said.

12,000 military, 5,000 reservists and over 14,000 police will be deployed to distribute electoral materials and undertake the disarmament of citizens, beginning today, to prevent the actions of boycotting the elections.

Micheletti, decided in a meeting with the Council of Ministers on Friday, to launch a “general disarmament”.

“They’re going to do normal operations with the armed forces,” he told AFP police spokesman, Orlin Cerrato.

Under the decree, the authorities, operating on streets and highways, will confiscate those carrying weapons, even those with permits, which will be returned after the election.

The Armed Forces and National Police have repeatedly stated that people can feel safe to exercise their right to vote, because they have provided a strategic plan that ensures their safety.


3 Responses to "Resistance Will Boycott Election Day"

  1. Axel Reyes Bogran  November 24, 2009 at 5:55 pm

    Who is this Baker guy?
    That name sounds very foreign to me, and it would be very interesting to know what his interest is in Honduras future, since he seems to be very dedicated to putting in place a Socialist dictator, something the majority of Hondurans do not want.

    Maybe we are facing a romantic idealist, one of those who are not seeking a real solution to problems but more like chasing a dream.

    A dream in which, him, and people like him think that they will solev all the problems of Honduras by placing a Socialist dictator in power.

    I call this a dream because troughout history, the dictators that are bred in Latin America have shown a total disregard for their fellow country men once they are in power.

    If any examples are needed, you can think of Fidel Castro, Chavez, Peron, Allende and a few others who once they were holding thereins of power in their hands forgot all the promises that they had made and treated the people of their respective countries as if they were slaves working in a hughe plantation that belonged to the dictator, with no rights, no good pay, no choices and controled by ever menacing police and security forces which held tehm in check if they wanted to protest.

  2. gonow  November 24, 2009 at 10:28 am

    a few weeks ago zelaya said 75% of the people in honduras wanted him back in …..does that mean now that only 25% of the people are going to voting now ??? and ham was not going to run he said if he did it would legitimize the election so now zelaya advised his folowers not to vote and …..ham decides to run now….very confusing……zelaya would not tell a lie would he…??????

  3. miraclemant  November 23, 2009 at 10:19 pm

    GOOD….. then maybe the intelligent people will decide the election…….

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