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Honduras: election spotlight

Monday, August 26, 2013


As part of a commitment to free and fair elections, the eight candidates for president of Honduras last week signed the Pact for Electoral Ethics and Transparency, in advance of balloting, scheduled for November 24.

The signing took place in the local offices of the United Nations Program for Development.

The commitment provides, among other things, that parties run a transparent campaign, and that they ultimately respect the will of the people.

As part of the process, each party will form a committee of observers, who along with their international counterparts, provide reports on the campaign, as well as the actual election.

The pact is expected to improve the image of Honduras, which wants to leave behind the international controversy, caused by the 2009 coup that overthrew then-president President Manuel Zelaya.

Zelaya currently runs the campaign of his wife Xiomara Castro, candidate of the Freedom and Fresh Start Party (Libertad y Refundación).

As part of its goal of ensuring credible and viable elections, Honduras a few weeks ago announced a program, in which university students would be hired as observers at polling stations.