In statements to reporters, Rafael Sarmiento, the representative and leader of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (PDR), expressed the urgency of approving the budget for the elections, which exceeds 1.737 billion lempiras (about $66.8 million).
Sarmiento warned on Monday that further delaying the validation of the accounts submitted by the PDR would jeopardize the electoral calendar and the country’s democratic stability. “The budget for elections is a national issue. It cannot continue to be trapped in political calculations; approving it on time is an obligation of the National Congress to the Honduran people,” stated the Libre representative, in an obvious allusion to the opposition parties’ stance during the debate.
The list released last weekend by the CNE excluded several groups for failing to meet the requirements established in the Electoral Law, which would result in their loss of legal status.
The CNE confirmed that the ruling Libre, Nacional y Liberal (Libre, National, and Liberal) parties—the two main opposition forces—Christian Democrats (Democracia Cristiana) and the social-democratic PINU (Pinu) will compete in the upcoming elections.
The National Electoral Council officially announced the call for the November general elections last Thursday, in compliance with the electoral calendar and with the commitment to guarantee a transparent, inclusive, and trustworthy process.
More than six million Hondurans are called to elect the new president, three vice presidents, 298 mayors, 128 deputies to the National Congress, and 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament.
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