Severe problems loom after Honduras elections

On November 29, the national elections were held under the coup government headed by Roberto Micheletti. Although the corporate controlled press worldwide was quick to characterize them as "clean", they took place under an illegitimate government, with troops in the street suppressing mobilizations of the left and the anti-coup press for the whole three month campaign period. For this reason, most of the countries in Latin America, including Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Uruguay and Paraguay, still refuse to call the results legitimate. Countries ruled by right-wing governments, including Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica and Panama, have joined with the United States in calling for the recognition of the results.

The winner of the election was rancher Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo of the right-wing National Party, which also appears to have got a majority in the unicameral Congress. There is still a dispute about the turnout, with Zelaya supporters and the left saying it was low, and Micheletti supporters saying it was high. On December 2, the outgoing Congress voted 111 to 14, with three abstentions, not to restore Zelaya to the presidency for the rest of his term which ends on January 27.

Zelaya's attitude is that a deal for a merely symbolic restoration would be pointless, and is not in the offing anyhow

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