Honduras must strengthen the independence of the electoral body, says the EU

Tegucigalpa, 18 Mar The elections in Honduras in 2021 were calm, said the European Union Electoral Observation Mission (EOM-EU) this Friday, which recommended the country to strengthen the “independence” of the electoral body in the face of interference from political parties. This is one of the main recommendations of the EOM-EU report following the general elections held on November 28, 2021 and which was presented at a press conference in Tegucigalpa by its chief, MEP Zeljana Zovko. In its recommendations, the EOM-EU states that the independence of the National Electoral Council (CNE) will make it possible to “guarantee a technical, professional and depoliticized administration of elections”. The report highlights that the “politicization of the CNE reached all levels (...) which created blockages and delays in decision-making, as well as deficiencies in the internal functioning of the institution, with parallel lines of communication, which further hampered its effectiveness and transparency”. STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF THE ELECTORAL BODY The EOM-EU further suggests “removing restrictions on the right to universal suffrage and adopting specific measures to ensure its effective exercise, as well as the possibility of voting for citizens in prison, in hospitals and with other special conditions that hinder their participation in the electoral process”. He also called for strengthening the capacities of the CNE, the Campaign Finance Oversight Unit and other law enforcement agencies to “prevent and punish the misuse of administrative remedies and implement deterrent measures against non-compliance with campaign finance provisions, in order to to contribute to the principle of equal conditions”. As well as the preliminary report, which was presented in Tegucigalpa on November 30, two days after the elections, won by Xiomara Castro, of the Freedom and Refoundation Party (Free, Left) and the first woman to become president of Honduras, the EOM-EU indicated that the elections were held in “a deeply polarized environment and were marred by high levels of political violence and the misuse of State resources in the campaign”. The results at the presidential level were “undisputed and accepted by all”, which increased the “levels of trust and allowed a peaceful transfer of presidential powers, as well as a generally fluid, though not without controversy, resolution of numerous challenges to the results of legislative and municipal elections”, Zovko pointed out. PROTECT WOMEN AND RECOGNIZE GENDER IDENTITY The EOM-EU considered that Honduras should “replace prison sentences for crimes of libel in the media with proportionate sanctions”. Likewise, “approve legal provisions and implement mechanisms to protect women from political gender violence, in accordance with the proposed law of the CNE, and ensure the implementation of sanctions”. He stressed the need to adopt “the Law on Electoral Procedure as established in the Constitution so that the Court of Electoral Justice (ECJ) has the tools necessary to exercise its electoral jurisdictional responsibilities.” It also recommends that the Electoral Council design “a result tabulation system with traceability features and reinforced outcome control mechanisms”, and recognize gender identity, as well as allow transgender people to change their names. During the press conference, Zovko encouraged Honduras to “make use of the recommendations,” which in the coming days will be presented to the Honduran authorities, civil society representatives and political parties. “From now on, a new stage is beginning to improve the electoral processes in Honduras in accordance with the recommendations (...) for which they could count, if necessary, with the support of the EU delegation” in the Central American country. The EOM-EU was in Honduras from October 13 to December 17, 2021, and during election day it accredited a total of 78 observers from 22 EU member states and Canada. CHIEF ac/lll (photo) (video)