HONDURAN PRESIDENT FIRES MILITARY JOINT CHIEF; MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND OTHER MILITARY LEADERSHIP RESIGN

id: 214001
date: 6/25/2009 16:51
refid: 09TEGUCIGALPA495
origin: Embassy Tegucigalpa
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 09STATE61160|09TEGUCIGALPA438|09TEGUCIGALPA462|09TEGUCIGALPA465|09TEGUCIGALPA474|09TEGUCIGALPA489
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000495
 
SIPDIS
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2019
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MARR, KDEM, HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAN PRESIDENT FIRES MILITARY JOINT CHIEF;
MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND OTHER MILITARY LEADERSHIP RESIGN
 
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 489
     B. TEGUCIGALPA 474
     C. TEGUCIGALPA 465
     D. TEGUCIGALPA 462
     E. STATE 61160
     F. TEGUCIGALPA 438 AND PREVIOUS
 
TEGUCIGALP 00000495  001.2 OF 002
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reason 1.4 (B & D)
 
1. (C) Summary. President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya fired the
Military Joint Chief General Romeo Vasquez the evening of
June 24 after the latter refused to carry out an order to
provide support for the June 28 poll to support a November
referendum on constitutional reform, a poll ruled illegal by
a Honduran appellate court.  The rest of the military
leadership then resigned, followed by Minister of Defense
Edmundo Orellana.  Zelaya then called for a rally of social
groups that support him at the Presidential Palace for noon
on June 25.  Attorney General Luis Alberto Rubi issued a
statement calling the firing illegal and said he would seek a
court order reinstating Vasquez.  The Honduran Congress and
Supreme Court have been called into session.  The breakdown
followed the failure of Honduran political leaders to reach
an accord on the wording for a June 28 poll.  Though major
Liberal Party leaders met in four meetings between June 17
and 22, hosted by the Ambassador, they were unable to reach
an agreement on wording of the poll so that all would accept
its legality.  Following the end of the talks, those opposed
to the poll prepared legislation (not requiring presidential
approval to become law) that would have supported court
findings of its illegality, but permit the military to
provide logistical support without sanctions, thereby
removing pressure from the military.  Congress membership,
however, refused to support the bill.  End summary.
 
2. (C) President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya fired the Military Joint
Chief General Romeo Vasquez the evening of June 24 after the
latter refused to carry out an order to provide support for
the June 28 poll to support a November referendum on
constitutional reform, a poll ruled illegal by a Honduran
appellate court.  Vasquez confirmed to DATT that he had been
fired as he would not carry out an "illegal" order.  Vasquez
issued a statement urging the military to remain calm and to
follow orders.  The rest of the military leadership then
resigned, followed by Minister of Defense Edmundo Orellana, a
loyal supporter of Zelaya's Orellana told the Ambassador that
Zelaya had asked him to stay but that he replied that he
could not do so with the military leadership resigning.
 
3. (C) Zelaya announced the firing and resignations in a
short nationally broadcast speech and called for left-wing
social groups that support him to gather at the Presidential
Palace at noon (2 p.m. EDST) on June 25.  Meanwhile, Attorney
General Luis Alberto Rubi issued a statement calling the
firing illegal and said he would seek a court order
reinstating Vasquez.  The Congress has been called back into
session and the Supreme Court issued a statement saying it
was meeting.
 
4. (C) The breakdown followed the failure of talks between
Liberal Party leaders to forge a consensus on the June 28
poll.  Following up on President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya's
request to host a meeting between him and fellow Liberal
Party leaders to restart a dialogue between them (reftel F),
the Ambassador, accompanied by DCM, following instructions
given in reftel E, hosted four meetings at his residence the
evenings of June 17, 19, 20 and 22.  One side was represented
by Zelaya, while the other former President Carlos Flores.
The talks quickly focused on the wording of the June 28 poll,
which specifically called for a constituent assembly.  Flores
argued that the reason the courts had ruled the poll illegal
was that it specifically called for such an assembly, which
 
TEGUCIGALP 00000495  002.2 OF 002
 
 
legally could only be done by a referendum approved by the
Congress.  Flores, through a series of proposals, attempted
to get Zelaya to accept a text without reference to a
constituent assembly, instead suggesting that he accept text
that called for a referendum that would reform the
constitution, leaving the method in which this was done up to
Congress when it drafted the wording for the referendum.
Flores argued that it was in the President's interest to find
a way to have the poll legalized, as two judges had already
ruled against it.  In particular, legalization would ease the
pressure on the military which had been ordered by Zelaya to
provide logistical support to the poll and ordered by the
courts not to do so.  The talks succeeded in restoring a
degree of camaraderie among those present.  Zelaya
tentatively agreed to accept new wording three times, but
each time backed down, claiming pressure from left-wing
social groups.
 
5. (C) Throughout the talks, Flores had privately indicated
to the Ambassador that in absence of an agreement, he and his
allies had an "option B" that revolved around a legislative
solution to the military's predicament.  After it became
clear that there would not be an agreement, Flores met with
the Ambassador and DCM the evening of June 23 and described
the plan.  He showed us draft legislation that would provide
legal cover for the military to carry out logistical support
for the poll, while maintaining the poll's illegality.
Flores explained that there were three types of legislation
that could become law without presidential approval; one of
these concerned executive branch conduct; he said that this
legislation would be passed under that category.  He added
that he had already received approval of the legislation from
Liberal Party Leaders and from National Party leader and
presidential candidate Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, and that he
believed it would be passed.  However, both Liberal and
National Party Congressional members revolted against the
idea on June 24 and it did not pass.
 
6. (C) Comment: The current situation remains fluid.  We have
urged Zelaya to cancel the poll, and encouraged other
political and military leaders to remain calm.  In the talks
on the poll, Flores, Santos, and Micheletti represented the
establishment and emphasized the need to follow the rules of
the game, while Zelaya espoused populist rhetoric, arguing
that the country needed fundamental change in order to
develop.  While only the Embassy had the influence needed to
bring the two sides together, in the end it was apparent that
Zelaya was not willing to make the compromises necessary to
reach an agreement.
LLORENS

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