GOVERNMENT
The 1982 constitution provides for a strong executive, a unicameral National Congress, and a judiciary appointed by the National Congress. The president is directly elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. The Congress also serves a 4-year term; congressional seats are assigned the parties' candidates in proportion to the number of votes each party receives in the various departments. The judiciary includes a Supreme Court of Justice (one president and 14 magistrates chosen by Congress for a 7-year term), courts of appeal, and several courts of original jurisdiction--such as labor, tax, and criminal courts. For administrative purposes, Honduras is divided into 18 departments, with 298 mayors and municipal councils selected for 4-year terms.
POLITICAL
CONDITIONS
Reinforced by the media and several political watchdog organizations, concerted efforts to protect human rights and civil liberties continued up to the June 28, 2009 coup. In the immediate aftermath of Zelaya’s expulsion from Honduras, the de facto Micheletti regime used troops to shut down dissenting media outlets and imposed curfews to prevent anti-coup protestors from forming large groups to voice their opposition. The de facto regime issued a decree on September 27 suspending most civil liberties and invoking a state of emergency. Under the decree, pro-Zelaya television station Canal 36 and Radio Globo were immediately closed. The decree was unpopular with civil society groups and the Honduran public. The de facto regime also issued an executive order giving the executive the right to close any media service it deemed a threat to national security or public order, without a court order. On October 19, the de facto regime published a decree abrogating its earlier suspension of civil liberties. Immediately afterwards, the two media outlets were on the air again.
Organized labor represents approximately 8% of the work force and its economic and political influence continues to decline. Honduras held its seventh consecutive democratic general elections in 2005 to elect a new president, unicameral Congress, and mayors. For the first time, as a result of the newly reformed Electoral Law, voters were able to vote for individual members of Congress, with photos of each candidate on the ballot, rather than party lists. For the electoral period 2006-2010, 31 women were elected to Congress. Additionally, 27 of these 31 congresswomen chose women as their alternates. In November 2008, successful primaries were held to select the candidates from the Liberal and National parties who will compete for the presidency in November 2009.
Political
Parties
The two major parties are the slightly left-of-center Liberal Party and the slightly-right-of-center National Party. The three much smaller registered parties--the Christian Democratic Party, the Innovation and National Unity Party, and the Democratic Unification Party--hold a few seats each in the Congress, but have never come close to winning the presidency.
Principal
Government Officials
President--Jose Manuel "Mel" ZELAYA Rosales
Vice President--Aristides Mejia
Minister of Foreign Relations--Patricia Rodas
President of Congress--Roberto MICHELETTI
Ambassador to the United States--Roberto FLORES Bermudez
Ambassador to the United Nations--Jorge Arturo Reina
Ambassador to the OAS--Carlos SOSA Coello
Honduras
maintains an embassy
in the United States at 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC
20008 (tel. 202-966-7702).
Government Type: Democratic
constitutional republic.
Independence: September 15, 1821.
Constitution: 1982.
Branches: Executive--president, directly elected to 4-year
term. Legislative--unicameral National Congress, elected for 4-year
term. Judicial--Supreme Court of Justice (appointed by Congress
and confirmed by the president); several lower courts.
Political parties: National Party, Liberal Party, Innovation
and National Unity Party, Christian Democratic Party, and the
Democratic Unification Party.
Suffrage: Universal adult.
Administrative subdivisions: 18 departments.
