Politics of Honduras
Politics of Honduras Political parties in Honduras Elections in Honduras File links The following pages link to this file: Honduras Politics of Honduras Latin America Organization of American States Freedom House User:AntonioMartin Football World Cup 1982 United Provinces of Central America Chicago Fire (soccer) F.C. Dallas Copa América CONCACAF Gold Cup Francisco Morazán Department Copán... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Liberal democracy History of democracy Referenda Representative democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by ideology... Political parties in Honduras lists political parties in Honduras. ... Politics of Honduras Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Honduras ...

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 four-year term by popular vote. The Congress also serves a four-year term; congressional seats are assigned the parties' candidates on a departmental basis in proportion to the number of votes each party receives. The judiciary includes a Supreme Court of Justice, 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 departmental and municipal officials selected for two-year terms. 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of Honduras. ... The Central American nation of Honduras is currently divided into 18 departments (departamentos). ... The supreme court in some countries, provinces, and states, is the highest court in that jurisdiction and functions as a court of last resort whose rulings cannot be appealed. ... The Central American nation of Honduras is currently divided into 18 departments (departamentos). ...

Reinforced by the media and several political watchdog organizations, human rights and civil liberties are reasonably well protected. There are no known political prisoners in Honduras and the privately owned media frequently exercises its right to criticize without fear of reprisals. Organized labor now represents less than 15% of the work force and its economic and political influence has declined. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Civil liberties are protections from the power of governments. ...

Current situation

On February 20, 2005 the PNH and the PLH held their internal party elections to decide who would represent these two parties in the forthcoming presidential elections in November. Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo became the PNH candidate. Manuel "Mel" Zelaya Rosales became the Liberal Party candidate. February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... Porfirio Pepe Lobo is a Honduran politician. ...

Security situation

The security situation in Honduras is inevitably going to be more precarious in 2005 because it is an election year, culminating in the presidential elections in November. Three major events over the last 2 years have brought this tiny country to the attention of the world media. A massacre of 68 prisoners in the farm prison of La Ceiba on 5th April 2003, a fire in the prison at San Pedro Sula that killed 107 prisoners on 18th May 2004, and the massacre of 27 innocent men, women and children in San Pedro Sula, on 23rd December 2004. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... La Ceiba is the third largest city of Honduras, containing about 250,000 people. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The cathedral The municipal palace San Pedro Sula is a city in the nation of Honduras. ... (Redirected from 18th May) May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... (Redirected from 23rd December) December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

There is a great feelings of insecurity amongst the population about the chronically poor security situation in Honduras. The major problem is rooted in the gangs, who are called maras in Spanish (ants in English). These include the Mara Salvatrucha and the Mara 18. The gangs are rooted in the poverty of Honduras, and in the ready availabity of crack cocaine. Honduras is not only a transit point for cocaine running between Colombia and the United States but also has an internal market, creating all sorts of inner city urban problems. The gangs sell the crack, commit other crimes, and hire themselves out to the seriously organised drug smugglers. Those engaged in international trafficking are better resourced than the state authorities combating them. An argument some would use to justify increasing US military aid to Honduras to help fight the organised drug gangs, while others would say that Honduras would be better off legalising drugs, thus avoiding military solutions to Honduran security problems. A gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity and, in current usage, engage in illegal activities. ... Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13 or MS, is a street gang of Salvadorans. ... Crack can refer to: A form of cocaine The chemical process of cracking Software cracking Craic (pronounced like crack), an Irish slang term for fun. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ...

President Ricardo Maduro, a former Central Bank of Honduras chairman, decided to stand for President on a security ticket after his only son was murdered on 23 April 1997, an event that gained him considerable public support. During his tenure as President of the Central Bank of Honduras,a banking license was given to Banco de Producción, after leaving the Central bank he became Chairman and mayority stockholder of the bank and the General Manger of the Central bank, Ana Cristina Mejia de Pereira became the General Manager of Banco de la Producción. He came into power in January 2002 with a wave of measures against gangs and delincuency, the most noticeable of which has been soldiers patrolling the streets with the police. Many gang members have been jailed for illicit association. While violent crime dipped for a few months even the best that Maduro could throw at the criminals has not slowed the very high crime rate. Pres. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During 2004 a number of victims that had been cut up into pieces were left in the parks of San Pedro Sula with messages from the gangs denouncing Ricardo Maduro, Head of Congress and presidential contender in 2005 Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, and Interior Minister Oscar Álvarez. Pepe Lobo in particular is feared because of his belief in the death penalty, something Maduro opposes. The massacre in the San Pedro Sula suburb of Chamelecón left 27 dead and 29 injured. The murderers left behind a message, claiming to come from the Cinchoneros, and railing against Maduro, Lobo, Álvarez and the death penalty. They promised to commit another massacre before the new year. Fortunately one suspected assassin was detained very shortly afterwards in another part of San Pedro Sula, and further arrests have since been made. The cathedral The municipal palace San Pedro Sula is a city in the nation of Honduras. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Porfirio Pepe Lobo is a Honduran politician. ... Oscar Álvarez has been Honduran Interior Minister since January 27th 2002. ... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ... Chamelecón is a suburb of San Pedro Sula in Honduras. ...

Death Penalty

The death penalty was abolished in 1956, and the last person was executed in 1940, but several candidates for the current presidential elections are in favour of restoring it. Pepe Lobo has promised that if elected President but unable to get a majority in Congress to pass the death penalty he would hold a referendum on the subject. Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...

Executive branch:

Chief of state: President Ricardo Rodolfo Maduro Joest (since January 27, 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term.
Election results: Pres. ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Ricardo (Joest) MADURO (PN) elected president - 52.2%,
• Raphael PINEDA Ponce (PL) 44.3%, others 3.5%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; deputies are elected directly as a proportion of the number of votes that their parties receive in each department.
elections: last held 25 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PN 61, PL 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU-SD 3 The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of Honduras. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Political parties

See List of political parties in Honduras Political parties in Honduras lists political parties in Honduras. ...

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia, judges are elected for four-year terms by the National Congress

Political pressure groups and leaders

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of Campesinos or UNC; United Federation of Honduran Workers or FUTH

Guerrilla groups

• Revolutionary Popular Forces Lorenzo Zelaya FPRLZ

Fuerzas Populares Revolucionarias Lorenzo Zelaya (Revolutionary Popular Forces Lorenzo Zelaya), was a clandestine politico-militar in Honduras. ...

International organization participation

BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, United Nations, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as defined by several international agreements, most prominently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. ... This article is about the International Criminal Police Organization - Interpol. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ...