Elections
The PNH and PLH have ruled the country for decades. In the last years, Honduras has had five Liberal presidents: Roberto Suazo Córdova, José Azcona del Hoyo, Carlos Roberto Reina, Carlos Roberto Flores and Manuel Zelaya, and two Nationalists: Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero and Ricardo Maduro. The elections have been full of controversies, including questions about whether Azcona was born in Honduras or Spain, and whether Maduro should have been able to stand given he was born in Panama.
On February 20, 2005 the PNH and the PLH held their internal party elections (primaries) to decide who would represent these two parties in the forthcoming presidential elections in November. Porfirio Pepe Lobo became the PNH candidate. Manuel Zelaya became the Liberal Party candidate. Forty-five percent of the electorate voted in the primaries: 24% for the Liberals and 21% for the National Party. According to the Country Report quoted in the U.C. San Diego Library Latin American election results, "The low participation rate in the primaries . . . is a reflection of the lack of public faith in Honduras's political institutions and leaders."
A Presidential and general election was held on November 27, 2005. Manuel Zelaya of the Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras: PLH) won, with Porfirio Pepe Lobo of the National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras: PNH) coming in second. Voter turnout was 55% of the 3.9 million eligible. The PNH challenged the election results, and Lobo Sosa did not concede until December 7. Towards the end of December the government finally released the total ballot count, giving Zelaya the official victory. Zelaya was inaugurated as Honduras' new president on January 27, 2006.
| Candidates and nominating parties | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| José Manuel Zelaya Rosales - Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras ) | 999,006 | 45.6% |
| Porfirio Lobo Sosa - National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras) | 923,243 | 42.2% |
| Juan Ángel Almendares Bonilla - Democratic Unification Party (Unificación Democrática) | 29,754 | 1.4% |
| Juan Ramón Martínez - Christian Democratic Party of Honduras (Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Honduras) | 27,812 | 1.3% |
| Carlos Sosa Coello - Innovation and Unity Party (Partido Innovación y Unidad) | 20,093 | .9% |
| Valid Votes Total | 2,000,908 | 91.5% |
| Null | 133,351 | 6.1% |
| Blank | 55,139 | 2.5% |
| Total | 2,190,398 | 100.0% |
| Registered voters | 3,976,550 | 55.1% |
| Source: TSE Honduras government election website | ||
| Parties | Seats |
|---|---|
| Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras) | 62 |
| National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras) | 55 |
| Democratic Unification Party (Partido de Unificación Democrática) | 5 |
| Christian Democratic Party of Honduras (Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Honduras) | 4 |
| Innovation and Unity Party (Partido Innovación y Unidad) | 2 |
| Total votes: 1,833,710 (turnout 45.97 %) | 128 |
| Registered voters: 3,988,605 | |
| Source regarding number of votes IPU Parline | |
Read more about this topic: Politics Of Honduras
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