One-Man, One-Vote in Honduras’ Constitutional Democracy

The much-awaited presidential election in Honduras finally took place today. There are high stakes riding on this election, namely, “a chance for Honduras to advance beyond the political crisis and regain international legitimacy and access to much-needed aid,” said James Creagan, former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras. It would mean ending a five-month constitutional crisis that began with the ouster of then President Manuel Zelaya who sought to extend his term through a referendum rendered illegal by the Honduran Supreme Court. It would also determine whether the election results would convince the international community to recognize the winner and provide the newly elected government a legitimate stature. As it is, countries in the region, with the exception of the US, Costa Rica, and Panama, have stated that recognizing the outcome of this election would be tantamount to endorsing a process of removing a duly elected president by a “military coup,” as what they alleged the Honduran military did in ousting Zelaya last summer.

I don’t know why Hondurans have to worry about the international community’s non-acceptance of their democratic process. Honduran democracy should march forward with or without the endorsement of the international community. The only real and true test of Honduran democracy is whether every single vote cast by every single Honduran translates itself into a form of consent that empowers a government to rule in his or her interest. Hondurans, every single one of them, are the only source of sovereign power, a power that they share equally with one another through a representative government that they empower to represent their interests. The one-man, one-vote principle in any constitutional democracy translates itself into a representative government whose leaders are chosen by the enlightened consent of its citizenry.

This is a good constitutional measure by which the international community should judge whether the political process in Honduras is democratic or not.

Meanwhile, three cheers for Hondurans for showing the world that they are indeed faithful guardians of their constitutional democracy!