The Honduras Coup D'etat and Iran Protests
Honduras is now on the news after President Zelaya had been overthrown through a military take-over. The take-over was backed by rightist elements and the business sector. A move that was very capitalist and predictable since in a socialist structure they would be the hardest hit by any policy change. In another part of the world, the protest of Iranian supporters of the opposition leader, Independent Reformist Mir-Hossein Mousavi who lost to Abadgaran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the current Iranian President continue to echo around the world. In the latter there were bloodshed and inhumane crackdown, and in the former selfish interests seems to be at hand.It seems that elections will forever be the focus of violence and hostility. The highest position in the land which gives the person holding it the greatest power which he/she could wield and use. Since ancient time these powers were the root of conflict, war and millions of death around the world.
The 2009 Honduran coup d'etat was a coup d'état in Honduras on June 28, 2009 that deposed President Manuel Zelaya, the first since 1972 in the Central American country. The day of the coup a non-binding referendum on changing the constitution was to be staged. It had been proposed by President Zelaya but ruled illegal by Honduras's Supreme Court, attorney general, top electoral body, and human-rights ombudsman. Zelaya nonetheless asked the Army to distribute ballots in accordance with its role in conducting elections. After Army chief Romeo Vásquez Velásquez refused to distribute ballots, Zelaya dismissed him from office. The dismissal was declared illegal by courts and the parliament. On June 28, 2009, shortly before polls were due to open for the referendum, the armed forces deposed Zelaya. The armed forces of Honduras seized President Manuel Zelaya at his home, holding him at an airbase outside Tegucigalpa[2] before flying him to Costa Rica. Roberto Micheletti, the speaker of parliament and next in the Presidential line of succession was sworn in as President by the National Congress.
These events seems to be legal and within the Constitution of a country which has long been conservative and practicing the democracy of the elites where the rule of power is concentrated on those who has money and can buy a seat in the political arena. When they see an opening in a President that had different perspective they will surely find a way to remove him because he is a threat. Honestly though, it is a legitimate process protected by their constitution.
In Iran the current crisis and protests was triggered when the opposition refuse to agree that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The opposition and its supporters are sighting massive fraud on the election. People then went to the streets to protest were they encountered police and other authorities and engaged in a violent clash with them. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei which is in support of Ahmadinejad call on the end to the riots and warned opposition supporters that they will face harsh crackdown if they refuse. The media was censored and a young student lady died apparently after being shot down.
So what does this signify? Who is legitimate?
In the context of the art of war, other countries want Ahmadinejad out in order to curve down the nuclear power of Iran. A government under Mousavi will be less threatening to the world. The Honduras incident seem to receive a different perspective while having Zelaya out serves capitalist interest it seems it is not being recognized for reason perhaps of avoiding the actual culprit who is behind the ouster.
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