Does democratically elected mean you can ignore the Constitution?
Politics June 28th, 2009
Maybe there’s something I’ve missed about this story.
A new president has been sworn into office in Honduras, hours after the ousting of President Manuel Zelaya.
Congress speaker Roberto Micheletti will serve as interim president until polls are held, Congress said.
The removal of Mr Zelaya by the army came amid a power struggle over his plans for constitutional change.
Mr Zelaya, who had been in power since 2006, wanted to hold a referendum that could have led to an extension of his non-renewable four-year term.
Polls for the referendum had been due to open early on Sunday – but troops instead took him from the presidential palace and flew him to Costa Rica.
Now hold on a second. Here’s the timeline.
2006 – Manuel Zalaya is elected President for a four year term, which under the Honduras constitution is for one term only.
2009 Zalaya announces that he wishes to have a vote amending the Constitution to allow him to run for a second term.
2009 The Congress (including large parts of Mr Zelaya’s party) rejects the proposed vote as does the Supreme Court which says that the proposed vote is unconstitutional.
2009 June 25 The Chief of Honduras’ armed forces rejects overtures by the President and reaffirms the constitution, the Congress and the Supreme Court’s position. He is sacked by the President.
The Honduran president has sacked the armed forces chief after he refused to give logistical support for a referendum on constitutional change.
President Manual Zelaya wants to hold a vote on a new constitution that could allow him to seek a second term.
A decision in Congress this week seemed to have halted the referendum, which the courts have also deemed unlawful.
But Mr Zelaya has indicated that the process of consultation will begin on Sunday as planned.
“I have decided to remove the head of the joint chiefs, General Romeo Vazquez Velasquez,” President Zelaya said in a televised address on Wednesday.
He said he had also accepted the resignation of his defence minister, Edmundo Orellana.
Mr Zelaya said his decision stemmed from “a crisis caused by some sectors that have promoted destabilisation and chaos”.
2009 June 29 Having instructed the civil service to continue preparations for the unconstitutional plebiscite, the Army removes the President from the Presidential Palace and flies him to Costa Rica. The President’s deputy is sworn in as interim president before the new elections next January.
So what is the problem? Yes, Honduras has a history of coups by the Army but the Army last ruled Honduras in 1981.
Does a democratic election allow someone to subvert the Constitution of a republic? Did I miss something?
Update:
It appears that the Honduran people similarly have a dim view of their President’s attempt to subvert the constitution. Read their comments on the BBC News Forum here
so, i live in Tegucigalpa Honduras and we feel a peace sensation, we can´t agree about to the president feels to be over the law, it was not a coup, it was a legally sustitution, and the people who live in other countries have to read our constitution to Understand the recently events.
Militaries did act, because The Supreme Court give an order about it
so now we are a little afraid about an extranger invasion to our country trying to Give to Mel Zelaya the power Again
Nelson, Tegucigalpa
and
I am a honduran and am not from a privileged class, I work hard to get ahead and I support the decision that our congress took, mel zelaya was trying to convert Honduras into another venezuela, we are peace loving people, and we love democracy, HE broke the law and he is a traitor to my country… please use all the power that you have to spread the news about the happiness that our country feels now that he is no here and help us protect our way of life, we love freedom…
Luis Castillo, La Ceiba
So it appears that they too do not agree that this was a coup d’etat or anything of the sort. It appears that the Army action was authorized by the Supreme Court and the Congress.
Of course these are dangerous times for Honduras and instability must be the fear of the people and politicians. Perhaps the feeling was that arresting and holding Zelaya might make him a martyr and provoke a reaction from the desperate poor that Zelaya claimed to represent.
In my view, Congress should have impeached the President – perhaps they still will do so.