Honduras begins election campaigning amid political crisis

A supporter of Honduras' ousted president Manuel Zelaya burns a t-shirt of Liberal Party presidential candidate Elvin Santos during a rally marking the start of his election campaign outside Hotel Honduras Maya in Tegucigalpa August 30, 2009.

TEGUCIGALPA, Aug. 30 -- Coup-hit Honduras formally began its campaigning on Sunday for November election, some two months after a military coup set the country into a political crisis.

Parties have less than 90 days to hold rallies and make media claims for the late November election that is set to choose a president, 128 deputies, 128 substitute deputies, 298 municipal leaders and 20 deputies and substitutes for the Central American Parliament.

The Liberal Party is fielding Elvin Santos for the presidency, while Porfirio Lobo Sosa is running for the main opposition National Party.

The Christian Democrats have Felicito Avila as their candidate, the Innovation and Democratic Unity Party has Bernard Martinez and the left-wing Democratic Unity Party, Cesar Ham.

Carlos Reyes is campaigning for the presidency as an independent candidate.

The election was called by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on May 28, when the ousted President Manuel Zelaya was still in office.

Zelaya's supporters have called for a boycott of the vote, demanding an immediate reinstatement of Zelaya.

Following the coup, Honduras has been under huge pressure as many countries in the region recognize only Zelaya as the country's president. The Organization of American States (OAS), which suspended Honduras in July, has stately clearly that it will not recognize the result of the November 29 elections for a new president.


A supporter of Honduras' ousted president Manuel Zelaya tramples a t-shirt of the Liberal Party presidential candidate Elvin Santos during a rally marking the start of his election campaign outside Hotel Honduras Maya in Tegucigalpa August 30, 2009.


Supporters of Honduras' ousted president Manuel Zelaya demonstrate against supporters of Liberal Party presidential candidate Elvin Santos during a rally marking the start of his election campaign outside Hotel Honduras Maya in Tegucigalpa August 30, 2009. The Honduran presidential election will be held on November 29, 2009.
(Xinhua)