National Congress of Honduras

National Congress of Honduras
Type
Type
Leadership
Mauricio Oliva, National Party
Since 25 January 2014
Structure
Seats 128
Political groups

Government (53)

Crossbench (35)

Opposition (40)

Elections
Open list proportional representation
Last election
 24 November 2013
Meeting place
Tegucigalpa
Website
www.congresonacional.hn
Honduras
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The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of Honduras.

Organisation

The Honduran Congress is a unicameral legislature. The nominal President of the National Congress of Honduras is currently Mauricio Oliva. Its members are 128 deputies, who are elected on a proportional representation basis, by department, to serve four-year terms.

Meeting place

Congress meets in a purpose-built legislative palace (Palacio Legislativo) in the centre of Tegucigalpa. Of a modernist design, it is painted in an array of bright colours and rests on a series of concrete pillars that separate it from the ground.

Coordinates: 14°06′14″N 87°12′18″W / 14.10375°N 87.20495°W / 14.10375; -87.20495

Directive

2014-2018 legislative period

The current directive of the National Congress is:[1]

2010-2014 legislative period

The directive of the National Congress for the period 2010-2014 is:[2]

Elections

The most recent election was held November 2013. Previous elections were held in 2009, 2005 and 2001.

2013 Legislative Elections

Party Votes % Seats +/–
National Party9,255,90433.6448–23
Liberty and Refoundation7,568,39227.5137New
Liberal Party4,670,15716.9727–18
Anti-Corruption Party4,169,24515.1513New
Innovation and Unity Party507,9581.851–2
Democratic Unification Party460,8141.671–3
Christian Democratic Party444,7341.621–4
Patriotic Alliance272,3980.990New
FAPER–Democratic Unification Party128,4880.470–
Independent Socialist candidates20,4290.070–
FAPER9,0110.030New
United for Choluteca8,5420.030–
Total27,516,0721001280
Valid votes2,699,54485.98
Invalid votes155,0604.94
Blank votes285,0889.08
Total votes3,139,692100
Registered voters/turnout5,308,78159.14
Source: TSE

Changes in Political Groups

Some of the opposition parties, particularly the Liberal, LIBRE and PAC have faced internal division. This division had more impact on LIBRE, which led to the dismissal and the resignation of some of their congressional partisans. During the first week of session in 2014, Congressman Eduardo Cotto was expelled from LIBRE for voting in favor of the National/DC/PUD directive integration, which was also supported by the Liberals.[3] On the following months, Cotto joined the DC.[4]

On February 21, 2015, Congresswoman Tatiana Canales announced her incorporation to the Liberal Party, after failed negotiations with PAC.[5] Nonetheless, 3 days later, the authorities of LIBRE decided to expel her (even though she had already resigned) and three other congressmen after they voted against an electoral reform that was introduced to Congress by the former President and current party leader of LIBRE, Manuel Zelaya Rosales. Together, the three expelled congressmen and Canales formed an independent bloc headed by Congresswoman Jenny Murillo.[6]

On April 9, 2015 the National Congress of Honduras processed the resignations of Congressman Hector Enrique Padilla from LIBRE and Substitute Congresswoman Claudia Patricia Molina from the Liberal Party. Since Molina is a substitute congresswoman, this change does not affect the number of members of the Liberal caucus, nonetheless Padilla's resignation reduced the number of LIBRE congressmen to 32. Later on, Padilla joined the independent group formed by former members of LIBRE[7]

The total number of members of the LIBRE caucus was reduced to 31 after Atlántida congresswoman, Audelia Rodriguez resigned from that party and joined the independent group on May 5, 2015. Rodriguez stated that the lack of direction in LIBRE has led to the impossibility of giving response to the people that elected her, but later she joined to the Christian Democratic Party[8] The Deputy of the independent group Hector Padilla has joined to the Christian Democratic Group, and with the new deputy now they have 3 deputies in the group. In the later months the congresswoman Audelia Rodriguez has joined to the Christian Democratic Party now counting with 4 deputies [9][10]

Also in February 2016, LIBRE has expelled the deputies Esdras Amado López and Dennis Antonio Sánchez of Francisco Morazán and Santa Bárbara respectively, based on the reason that they have voted in favour of a new Supreme Court of Justice.[11][12] Since 4 of PAC's congressmen did not make their vote public during the Supreme Court election, Salvador Nasralla accused them of being now congressmen of the National Party, nonetheless, they have not been formally expelled of the party.[13]

But later, on March 18, the leaders of PAC finally decided to "temporarily suspend" the membership of the 4 of the deputies that participated in the election of a new Supreme Court of Justice. The 4 suspended congressmen are Ana Joselina Fortín, Marlene Alvarenga, Kritza Perez and Oscar Palacios.[14] [15]

On April 2016, the deputy of the independent group Tatiana Canales, finally has decided to return to the Liberal Party of Honduras, with the reason that they have expressed differences with Libre, and its return means that the Liberal caucus has officially 28 deputies. [16]

 Summary of the 29 November 2009 National Congress of Honduras election results
Parties Seats
National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras) 71
Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras) 45
Christian Democratic Party of Honduras (Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Honduras) 5
Democratic Unification Party (Partido de Unificación Democrática) 4
Innovation and Unity Party (Partido Innovación y Unidad) 3
Total votes: 2,300,056 (2,146,012 valid votes) (turnout 51.04 %) 128
Registered voters: 4,600,000 approx.
Sources: TSE, El Heraldo
 Summary of the 27 November 2005 National Congress of Honduras election results
Parties Seats
Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras) 62
National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras) 55
Democratic Unification Party (Partido de Unificación Democrática) 5
Christian Democratic Party of Honduras (Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Honduras) 4
Innovation and Unity Party (Partido Innovación y Unidad) 2
Total votes: 1,833,710 (turnout 45.97 %) 128
Registered voters: 3,988,605
Source regarding number of votes IPU Parline

The previous election was held on 25 November 2001. Following that election (which saw Ricardo Maduro elected president), party strengths in Congress stood as follows:

 Summary of the 25 November 2001 Honduras National Congress (Congreso Nacional) election results
Parties Votes % Seats
National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras) 46.5 61
Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras ) 40.8 55
Innovation and Unity Party-Social-Democracy (Partido de Inovación y Unidad-Social Democracia) 4.6 4
Democratic Unification Party (Partido de Unificación Democrática) 4.5 5
Christian Democratic Party of Honduras (Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Honduras) 3,7 3
Total (turnout 66.3 %)   128

Honduras also returns deputies to the supranational Central American Parliament.

President

The President of the National Congress of Honduras is the presiding officer (speaker) of the National Congress of Honduras.

Presidents of the Congress 20th Century

Name Term Party Notes
Rafael Alvarado Manzano 1914–1915 National Party of Honduras
Angel Ugarte 1921 Liberal Party of Honduras
Miguel Oqueli Bustillo 1923 Liberal Party of Honduras
Angel Sevilla R. 1924 National Party of Honduras
Venancio Callejas 1925–1926 National Party of Honduras
Tiburcio Carías Andino 1926–1929 National Party of Honduras First Time
Antonio C. Rivera 1929–1930 National Party of Honduras First Time
Tiburcio Carías Andino 1930–1931 National Party of Honduras Second Time
Santiago Meza Cálix 1931–1932 Liberal Party of Honduras
Antonio Bográn 1932 National Party of Honduras
Abraham Williams C. 1932 National Party of Honduras
Miguel Paz Barahona 1933–1934 National Party of Honduras
Ramón Alcerro Castro 1934–1935 National Party of Honduras President of the National Constituent Assembly of 1943
Antonio C. Rivera 1935–1939 National Party of Honduras Second Time
Plutarco Muñoz P. 1939–1948 National Party of Honduras
Luciano Milla Cisneros 1949 National Party of Honduras
Juan B. Valladares R. 1949 National Party of Honduras
Jose Máximo Gálvez 1949–1950 National Party of Honduras
Camilo Gómez y Gómez 1950–1954 National Party of Honduras
Francisco Salomón Jiménez Castro 1954 National Party of Honduras
Ramón Villeda Morales 1957 Liberal Party of Honduras President of the Constituent Assembly of 1957 and then, President of Honduras 1957-1963.
Modesto Rodas Alvarado 1957–1963 Liberal Party of Honduras He was overthrown by the military coup led by Oswaldo López Arellano.
Héctor Orlando Gomez C. 1963 Liberal Party of Honduras He assumed the Presidency of the Congress for a few days, after the military coup led by Oswaldo López Arellano
Mario E. Rivera López 1965–1971 National Party of Honduras He was President of the National Constituent Assembly of 1965 and the National Congress from 1965 to 1971.
Martín Agüero Vega 1971–1972 National Party of Honduras
Roberto Suazo Cordova 1981 Liberal Party of Honduras He was the President of the National Constituent Assembly that drew up the 1982 Honduran Constitution. He was then elected President of Honduras in the Honduran general election, 1981

List of Presidents since 1982

Name Term Party
Efraín Bu Girón 1982–1986 Liberal Party of Honduras
Carlos Orbin Montoya 1986–1990 Liberal Party of Honduras
Rodolfo Irias Navas 1990–1994 National Party of Honduras
Carlos Roberto Flores 1994–1998 Liberal Party of Honduras
Rafael Pineda Ponce 1998–2002 Liberal Party of Honduras
Porfirio Lobo Sosa 2002–2006 National Party of Honduras
Roberto Micheletti 2006–2009 Liberal Party of Honduras
José Alfredo Saavedra
 2009–2010 Liberal Party of Honduras
Juan Orlando Hernández 2010–2014 National Party of Honduras
Mauricio Oliva 2014–present National Party of Honduras

See also

References

  1. ↑ (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ Unánime elección de directiva del CN (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ http://www.latribuna.hn/2014/01/22/expulsan-a-eduardo-cotto/
  4. ↑ http://www.latribuna.hn/2014/06/27/un-nuevo-en-pdch/
  5. ↑ http://www.laprensa.hn/inicio/799453-417/masiva-adhesi%C3%B3n-de-libres-al-pl?utm_source=laprensa.hn&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=noticias_relacionadas
  6. ↑ http://www.latribuna.hn/2015/02/25/expulsados-de-libre-forman-octava-bancada/
  7. ↑ http://www.tiempo.hn/nacion/item/26543-honduras-cn-da-tramite-a-renuncia-irrevocable-de-diputados-de-libre-y-partido-liberal
  8. ↑ http://www.latribuna.hn/2015/05/05/diputada-de-libre-renuncia-y-se-une-a-bancada-independiente/
  9. ↑ http://www.latribuna.hn/2015/06/27/otro-diputado-de-libre-se-adhiere-a-las-filas-de-pdch/
  10. ↑ http://www.tiempo.hn/nacion/item/37524-diputado-abandono-la-bancada-independiente-y-se-suma-a-la-democracia-cristiana
  11. ↑ http://www.latribuna.hn/2016/02/16/esdras-amado-lopez-y-denis-sanchez-ya-no-tienen-cabida-en-libre/
  12. ↑ http://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/930258-410/expulsados-de-libre-esdras-l%C3%B3pez-y-denis-s%C3%A1nchez
  13. ↑ http://www.latribuna.hn/2016/02/22/diputados-del-pac-hoy-al-banquillo-de-los-acusados/
  14. ↑ http://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/941140-410/consejo-nacional-del-pac-desconoce-a-cuatro-diputados
  15. ↑ http://www.latribuna.hn/2016/03/18/pac-suspende-cuatro-diputados/
  16. ↑ http://www.tiempo.hn/diputada-de-libre-regresa-al-partido-liberal/

4. Results: http://siede.tse.hn/escrutinio/index.php

External links

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