Honduras: students will monitor elections

The next presidential elections in Honduras, scheduled for November, will be supervised by college students from across the country.

Last week, representatives of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and universities signed the "Youth Electoral Transparency," pact, which is expected to involve at least 2,500 students from the countries universities, public and private.

Those wishing to join the program will receive training from the Tribunal, after which they will accredited as observers.

The new process "gives students have the opportunity to speak in support of the electoral process," said the rector of the Universidad José Cecilio del Valle, Carlos Avila Molina.

The students will observe the voting procedures, and are also expected to participate in the counting of votes.

The new measure should create confidence in the Honduran electoral process, which was damaged following a 2009 coup, which ousted then-President José Manuel Zelaya.