The Honduran Resistance Wins the Elections!!!

As the polling booths closed this evening in Honduras, there didn't need to be a vote-count to declare the winners. With an abstention rate of at least 65%, the people in resistance have the overwhelming majority.

The National Resistance Front Against the Coup said in a press conference at 4.30pm that the dictatorship has been soundly defeated by such a small turnout that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal had to extend the voting by one hour in an attempt to get more votes.

"They were raffling off home appliances such as fridges, and even houses, for those who voted in an attempt to get them into the booths," informed Rafael Alegria of Via Campesino.

Monitoring by the National Resistance showed the level of abstention was at least 65%, the highest level of abstention in the history of Honduras.

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"In this way the Honduran people have punished both the candidates and the dictatorship, who are now in a tight spot to try to demonstrate a mandate that doesn't exist," said Rodil Rivera Rodil, lawyer and member of the Nationa Resistance Front who read the press release.

Contrary to coup-sponsored electoral observer reports of a peaceful election, the days leading up to, and of, the 'electoral farce' were characterised by repression and violence in many places, particularly resistance strongholds such as San Pedro Sula where resistance members were beaten, injured, and detained, and one is reported to be disappeared. Among the injured is a Reuters reporter, and two religious workers from the Latin American Council of Churches working as human rights observers were detained.

There have also been reports of rapes, beatings and detentions from other districts, which human rights groups will be following up in the days to come.

"They have put civilian clowns in office to put a clean face on the military coup," commented Bertha Oliva, Director of the Centre for Families of the Disappeared and Detained of Honduras (COFADEH).

Despite protestations to the contrary by the international corporate media, there is a wealth of photographic and first hand accounts from the polls - including documents shown to international observers by polling booth staff - that the turnout was considerably less than 50%, and in the northern part of the country, less than 20%.

The only winners in this electoral circus are the Honduran people and the resistance movement, who intend to celebrate with a victory march in Tegucigalpa tomorrow, 30 November.

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(Group photo, from left: Dagoberto Suaso, Rodil Rivera, Bertha Oliva, Rafael Alegria, Tomas Andino, Luis Mendez)

ENDS