Micheletti Out, Aviles In and President Zelaya Can Return in 2010 to Face Criminal Charges?

The article includes the interesting item that the OAS is not going to recognize elections held by the Junta. They already know it will be rigged, because conditions for a fair election simply do not exist. The Junta has jailed over a thousand political activists, has killed several, has shut down all opposition and neutral media and has conducted a purge within government agencies of anyone who opposes the coup and supports Zelaya and a return to democratic order.

There is no way that the left can even mount campaigns in these circumstances. Zelaya is termed out, and there are two leftist candidates running for president--which will make a rigged vote even easier. And the left is supposed to deal with that problem, and fund and mount campaigns for congress and other offices, in this atmosphere of repression? The unfairness couldn't be greater leading up to the elections. And Junta election officials certainly will not be honest and fair in administration of the election.

One of the things that the OAS has done really well, over the last decade, is its work on transparent, honest, aboveboard elections in Latin America. So they know what they are talking about, when they say that they are not going to recognize an election held in these circumstances.

This makes the crisis in Honduras even more difficult to settle peacefully, but a rigged election is not the solution. That cannot be tolerated.

I believe it was Al Giordano (NarcoNews) who had an article about the discussions among grass roots groups on what to do with the Junta election. They believe that there will be repercussions for people who don't vote (who boycott the election). The Junta will be taking names. So one protest that is being discussed is voting for the TWO leftist candidates who are running for president, thus invalidating their ballots--as a large-scale protest. This is certainly a dilemma for the people of Honduras. There will be no international monitoring groups overseeing the election and protecting voters' rights.