OGirly
30th November 2013, 14:08
I'm going to re-type this short memo that I was handed at a recent Black Friday protest. I currently am looking into the issue more, and I am in contact with the organiser of the event if anyone would like more information/to get involved I"m sure I can ask him if it's okay I forward his email address.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VALIDITY OF HONDURAN ELECTION CALLED INTO QUESTION BY LAWYERS GROUP
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) delegation of 17 credentialed international observers seriously questions the validity of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's (TSE) preliminary results of Sunday's national elections in Honduras.
The NLG takes issue with the United States government's characterisation of the electoral process as transparent, given the country's recent and pervasive human rights violations: "U.S. government officials should refrain from assessing the validity of the election at this early stage and instead insist on protecting the rights of Honduran civil society," NLG President Azadeh Shahshahani stated. The U.S. has been widely criticised for it's early and nearly unilateral endorsement of the 2009 post-coup election, which took place during a period of brutal repression reminiscent of the violence of the 1980s. NLG observers expressed alarm about consolidation of power over the electoral process by the National Party, which has controlled the judiciary, the military, and the Congress since the 2009 military coup. Militarisation of the electoral process included soldiers patrolling each polling centre and allegedly transporting ballots.
Additional irregularities were observed throughout the country, including allegations that smaller parties' credentials were sold to National Party supporters for a seat at the voting tables (a TSE official has verified this). This threatens the integrity of the election process as individuals staffing the voting tables were in charge of counting ballots at the end of the day. There were also reports of the distribution of gratuities to National Party supporters. The NLG also documents the inconsistencies with voter rolls and vote tabulations.
Two opposition parties, LIBRE and PAC, have called into question the transmission of vote counts to the electoral tribunal.
They claim a substantial discrepancy between the numbers reported to the TSE and those reported to their parties.
The NLG noted a strong will and enthusiasm among Hondurans to participate in the electoral process despite a pervasive climate of fear and intimidation surrounding opposition party members and observers. Over the weekend, two LIBRE party activists were murdered, while two other deaths and three injuries were reported near a voting centre in the Moskitia region. In addition, international observers reported multiple incidents of intimidation by state actors in the days leading up to the elections.
Cleveland attorney Philip Althouse was part of the NLG delegation and available for further information and interviews.
END
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VALIDITY OF HONDURAN ELECTION CALLED INTO QUESTION BY LAWYERS GROUP
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) delegation of 17 credentialed international observers seriously questions the validity of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's (TSE) preliminary results of Sunday's national elections in Honduras.
The NLG takes issue with the United States government's characterisation of the electoral process as transparent, given the country's recent and pervasive human rights violations: "U.S. government officials should refrain from assessing the validity of the election at this early stage and instead insist on protecting the rights of Honduran civil society," NLG President Azadeh Shahshahani stated. The U.S. has been widely criticised for it's early and nearly unilateral endorsement of the 2009 post-coup election, which took place during a period of brutal repression reminiscent of the violence of the 1980s. NLG observers expressed alarm about consolidation of power over the electoral process by the National Party, which has controlled the judiciary, the military, and the Congress since the 2009 military coup. Militarisation of the electoral process included soldiers patrolling each polling centre and allegedly transporting ballots.
Additional irregularities were observed throughout the country, including allegations that smaller parties' credentials were sold to National Party supporters for a seat at the voting tables (a TSE official has verified this). This threatens the integrity of the election process as individuals staffing the voting tables were in charge of counting ballots at the end of the day. There were also reports of the distribution of gratuities to National Party supporters. The NLG also documents the inconsistencies with voter rolls and vote tabulations.
Two opposition parties, LIBRE and PAC, have called into question the transmission of vote counts to the electoral tribunal.
They claim a substantial discrepancy between the numbers reported to the TSE and those reported to their parties.
The NLG noted a strong will and enthusiasm among Hondurans to participate in the electoral process despite a pervasive climate of fear and intimidation surrounding opposition party members and observers. Over the weekend, two LIBRE party activists were murdered, while two other deaths and three injuries were reported near a voting centre in the Moskitia region. In addition, international observers reported multiple incidents of intimidation by state actors in the days leading up to the elections.
Cleveland attorney Philip Althouse was part of the NLG delegation and available for further information and interviews.
END