Ousted Honduran President
This has finally irked me enough that I will make my view clear. First the facts:
President José Manuel Zelaya was arrested in a military coup on June 28, 2009. The military entered the presidential palace, disarmed the presidential guard, and arrested Mr. Zelaya. He was then flown to Costa Rica in a military plane.
This was the culmination of tensions between Pres. Zelaya and the Congress and Supreme Court. Mr. Zelaya was trying to get a referendum passed that would allow multiple term limits for the president. The Supreme Court, however, declared the referendum unconstitutional and the Congress followed suit. Zelaya kept pushing for the referendum and even ordered the military to help. After the military refused, Zelaya fired the armed forces commander, Gen. Romeo Vásquez. But the Supreme Court declared this act unconstitutional and reinstated Gen. Vásquez.
Sunday was supposed to be the day when Zelaya pushed his referendum through, but the military acted first.
Now Obama and most other governments in central and south America are calling for Zelaya to be returned to the presidency.
Obama is wrong. (Big surprise, I know.) Zelaya was not in compliance with his nation's Constitution and thus was no longer fit for office. He openly defied the other two branches of his government and used unconstitutional measures. (To be fair to both sides, the military was slightly outside the law by taking matters into their own hands, but what's done is done and if someone should be held accountable let it be the military.) The new interim government is legitimate and should remain as it is until the voice of the people elects a new president in the coming year.
(Obama: -15)
President José Manuel Zelaya was arrested in a military coup on June 28, 2009. The military entered the presidential palace, disarmed the presidential guard, and arrested Mr. Zelaya. He was then flown to Costa Rica in a military plane.
This was the culmination of tensions between Pres. Zelaya and the Congress and Supreme Court. Mr. Zelaya was trying to get a referendum passed that would allow multiple term limits for the president. The Supreme Court, however, declared the referendum unconstitutional and the Congress followed suit. Zelaya kept pushing for the referendum and even ordered the military to help. After the military refused, Zelaya fired the armed forces commander, Gen. Romeo Vásquez. But the Supreme Court declared this act unconstitutional and reinstated Gen. Vásquez.
Sunday was supposed to be the day when Zelaya pushed his referendum through, but the military acted first.
Now Obama and most other governments in central and south America are calling for Zelaya to be returned to the presidency.
Obama is wrong. (Big surprise, I know.) Zelaya was not in compliance with his nation's Constitution and thus was no longer fit for office. He openly defied the other two branches of his government and used unconstitutional measures. (To be fair to both sides, the military was slightly outside the law by taking matters into their own hands, but what's done is done and if someone should be held accountable let it be the military.) The new interim government is legitimate and should remain as it is until the voice of the people elects a new president in the coming year.
(Obama: -15)
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