Technicality Debate – Honduras 2013 Elections

Mauricio Villeda Honduras

Mauricio Villeda

It is against the law for Ricardo Alvarez to be Juan Orlando Hernandez’s running mate in the Honduras 2013 elections, according to Mauricio Villeda of the the Liberal Party.  Echoing the thoughts of many Hondurans across the country, Villeda stressed that Alvarez, current President of the National Party of Honduras, can not be the presidential designee candidate, because he ran in the Honduras 2012 primary election.

The electoral law in Honduras explicitly prohibits anyone who participated in the primary elections and lost, from participating in the general elections for any position.  Since Ricardo Alvarez has stated that he will not agree to modify the laws for his benefit, it will be interesting to see what transpires.

Ricardo Alvarez

Ricardo Alvarez

According to Mauricio Villeda, a political party, the Ample Electoral Political Front in Resistance  (Frente Amplio Político Electoral en Resistencia – FAPER) already submitted a request to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (Tribunal Supremo Electoral – TSE), asking for a ruling on the issue of party candidates who ran in the primaries to run in the November 2013 Elections.

The Democrat Unification Party (Parties Democratic Unification – UD) and FAPER had agreed upon an alliance, and desired to nominate Andres Pavon as their presidential candidate.  Andres Pavon ran in the Honduras 2012 elections for the FAPER party.  The resolution of the TSE stated, “We deny the request FAPER contracted, to permit a candidate who participated in primary elections for corresponding parties such as the Liberal Party, National Party, and Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre – Free), to run as candidates in other parties in the process of the general elections to be held on November 24, 2013”.

The resolution of the TSE was announced by the Secretary General, Alejandro Martinez, a day after Ricardo Alvarez publicly agreed to run with Juan Orlando Hernandez as the presidential designee candidate.

Juan Orlando Hernandez

Juan Orlando Hernandez

Villeda believes the TSE ruling clearly indicates that the TSE would also deny any other candidate who had run in the 2012 primary elections the opportunity to run in the Honduras 2013 elections.

Juan Orlando Hernandez, presidential candidate and President of the National Congress, said today that the TSE should allow the registration of Ricardo Alvarez as designated presidential candidate for the National Party in an act of justice, and that it is all about “interpreting a rule” and believes the human rights of Alvarez would outweigh any political restrictions.

The TSE has commented that they cannot rule on any issue that has not been formally submitted to the entity, and as of today, there has been no official paperwork submitted by FAPER or any other political party.


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