Honduras has a new president

President-elect Porfirio Lobo declared victory late Sunday night in Honduras. His main challenger, Elvin Santos, former vice president under ousted president Zelaya, conceded.

The country has been in political crisis since June 28th, when ex-president Manuel Zelaya was removed from office by order of the Honduran Supreme Court. Zelaya was charged with attempting to illegally extend his presidential term, and once removed from office, his legal successor, Roberto Micheletti was sworn in. Micheletti was President of the National Congress -- roughly equivalent to the Speaker of the House in the US -- and the Vice President had resigned in December 2008 to run for President. Micheletti pledged to fulfill only the remainder of Zelaya's term without running for election himself, and voluntarily gave presidential power to his Cabinet members during the week of the popular election.

President Micheletti resigned power effective Nov. 25th - Dec. 2nd., the day the Honduran Congress is due to vote on a possible reinstatement of Zalaya. Micheletti said he was doing so to "guarantee free, spontaneous and transparent" elections. Micheletti has been accused of cronyism and making a solely symbolic gesture by doing so. In perspective however, an American president surrendering presidential powers -- for any reason -- is such a big deal movies are made about it. It was not a small concession. Ousted president Zelaya is still heading a campaign to be restored to office from the Brazilian Embassy where her has taken refuge. Zalaya said in an e-mailed statement about Micheletti's temporary resignation, “It shows he’s conscious that he contaminates democracy, and that under his rule everything is null." The current presidential term, begun by Zalaya and now under Micheletti's interim presidency, expires in 57 days.

International reaction to the election is mixed. Bloomberg reports, "Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and other Latin American countries have said they won’t recognize elections administered by the same government that overthrew President Manuel Zelaya in June. The U.S. has said it may recognize the vote after brokering an accord last month that called for Congress to have the final say on whether Zelaya should be restored to power." A deal brokered by the US has not been met. Zelaya and Micheletti were supposed to form a unity government by Nov. 5th, to administrate the election. Zelaya withdrew from the deal.

President Micheletti, in a statement on Nov. 18th, said of his week-long resignation, “Granting this space will give the greatest opportunity possible for the vote. Our government will operate normally during my absence," and he seems to be correct. Voter turnout in the election was reported to be 62%, a significant jump from the 2005 election that brought Zelaya to office, and defeated now President-elect Lobo. For perspective, voter turnout on the US 2008 presidential election was 61%, the first time in 40 years voter turnout has been over 60%.

President-elect Lobo will take office January 27th, 2010.