One Step Forward in Honduras

Special from rel-UITA

HAVANA TIMES, Nov. 5 – The Executive Board of the National Congress met and decided to urgently send a copy of the “Tegucigalpa-San Jose Agreement” to the Supreme Court, the Public Ministry and the Attorney General to obtain the opinions of those key actors not directly involved in the negotiations on the reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya.

Meanwhile, in Tegucigalpa, a Verification Commission was established and empowered with unrestricted authority to substantiate compliance with the agreement.

Today, November 5, the formation of the “Government of Unity and National Reconciliation” is expected to take place. Hondurans and the world hope Manuel Zelaya will preside over it.

Since early Wednesday morning, hundreds of Hondurans flooded into the square in front of the National Congress with hope that the Executive Board of that branch of government would meet to decide one of two things: whether to convene a plenary session to familiarize the deputies with the agreement or if it would ask for an opinion from the different state authorities not involved in the negotiations.

People took up position a few yards from the large police and military presence that guarded the entrance of the legislative building.  Those citizens waved their flags, banners and signs demanding the immediate reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya Rosales, while chanting the slogans used during 128 days of peaceful and determined resistance.

After several hours, deputies of the Party of Democratic Unification (UD) and liberal representatives of the non-coup-supporting forces announced that, contrary to their proposal for the immediate convening of a full House session, the majority of the Executive Board had decided to urgently send a copy of the agreement to the Supreme Court of Justice, the Public Ministry and the Attorney General’s office to get the opinions of these state authorities on possible reinstatement.

Despite the protests of those present, who continue to fear this to be another delaying tactic by the deputies who openly supported the coup d’état and the ousting of Zelaya, deputies and leaders of the National Front Against the Coup d’état urged people to continue with the struggle, to double their efforts and to continue putting pressure on the deputies through an even more massive citizens’ presence in front of the Congress.

“We are making a call for people to concentrate here in Tegucigalpa until the deputies approve the restitution of President Zelaya,” said Rafael Alegría, a leader of the National Front Against the Coup.

“We urgently request that this point be discussed and that what the people are requesting be approved, because without reinstatement there will be no election.  On Thursday, November 5, the ‘Government of Unity and National Reconciliation’ will be established, which must to be presided over by Zelaya,” said Alegría.

“Now we are going to the installation ceremony of the Verification Commission and we will denounce this delay being made by the legislative branch,” concluded the resistance leader.

On Wednesday, thousands of people arrived in Tegucigalpa to begin a vigil in front of the Congress.

The Verification Commission Set Up

A day behind schedule, Point 6 of Tegucigalpa-San Jose’s Agreement was fulfilled when the Verification Commission was established on Tuesday afternoon. It is made up of former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and the representatives of President Zelaya (Jorge Arturo Reyna) and Roberto Micheletti (Arturo Corrales Alvarez).

The installation ceremony provided some surprises for the ample delegation of coup supporters, who could not hide their displeasure with the words of former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos.  “There are moments in which it’s possible to avoid jumping off a cliff,” said Lagos.

“We in Chile, many years ago, we were unable to do it, and we had a long night that we were only able to defeat when we regrouped -all of the democratically minded people- to say ‘No’ to the dictatorship.”

“But what we did starting from that moment,” Lagos continued, “has been a process of overcoming wounds and finding a common element that leads us all toward the country’s progress.”

Lagos left de facto government allies stunned when saying, “It will be the culmination of what you have begun that will allow the authorities that they elect on November 29 to have the recognition of the international community,” adding later in a brief dialogue with the media present that, “We are here to restore the democratic institutions to the state to how they were prior to June 28; that’s to say, the moment in which President Manuel Zelaya was ousted from his position. Therefore, we want to implement an agreement that means President Zelaya has to return to power.”

Increasing International Pressure

For his part, OAS Secretary-general Jose Miguel Insulza, who will arrive in the country to monitor the execution of the agreements over the next several days, stated, “The only way to peace is to reestablish President Zelaya for the brief time that he has left in the presidency.”

“Everyone hopes the Congress will decide on the issue because it was the Congress, on June 28, that made the decision to name Mr. Micheletti, and I hope it will do that soon,” he added.

“The times are urgent, and -God willing- they will do what the Hondurans want. In Honduras, the people want this to end,” Insulza concluded.