x Post: The golpista Honduran government is disarming the people ahead of the vote.

[EFerrari]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4155309

They have mandatory voting in Honduras. I find this very alarming. Zelaya not restored, no reconciliation, the de facto government claiming it will step down for a whole week before the election, mandatory voting, disarming the citizenry.

[panader0]

1. That is pretty heavy

Mandatory voting? That's weird. Disarming? That's dangerous.

[EFerrari]

2. Given the way these guys think, if they're taking your gun

they have plans.

Maybe I'm over-reacting but even at a minimum, having to turn in your guns before a mandatory vote is intimidation.

[timeforpeace]

3. Yes, guns and elections go so well together.

[EFerrari]

4. Um, the only ones using guns since the elected government was violently deposed

are the people running this fake election.

But otherwise, you're completely on the mark.

[EFerrari]

5. To follow up, last night when we were following the early results

turnout was estimated at 30-35%.

Somehow between then and the five hours the Elections Tribunal met -- and with State Department flak, Hugo Llorens, that number turned into 62%. Hugo Llorens was in charge of the Andean desk on the National Security Council during the Venezuelan Coup of 2002, btw. He may or may not be responsible for the golpista's claiming that Hugo Chavez was trying to sabotage their election. That Chavez, he gets around.

It looks like the tribunal just flipped the turn out numbers and kept the ratio of support for the winner, Lobo.

Human rights observers all say extremely low turnout.

Two people are in the hospital with gunshot wounds to the head, one will make it. They were shot by police. No numbers yet on how many detained. Peaceful protests in the cities were broken up with water cannons and rubber bullets, real bullets. A number of international journalists were assaulted and arrested. Amnesty International issued a press release about detentions, violence, repression.

US media largely praising the return of democracy to Honduras.