Honduran president fires top general

[arcos]

Source: CNN

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (CNN) -- Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales has dismissed the military's top commander after the general said the armed forces would not support a constitutional referendum scheduled for Sunday.

Gen. Romeo Vasquez Velasquez was relieved of his duties. He said the military was caught in a difficult situation because the Honduran Supreme Court ruled that the referendum is illegal but Zelaya is going ahead with the vote and instructed the armed forces to provide security.

The heads of the army, navy and air force resigned to show their support for Vasquez.

The military chief said he respects the president's decision to fire him but he could not violate a Supreme Court order last week that prohibited the military from supporting the referendum.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/06/25/honduras.general/index.html

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The situation is pretty tense right now, with coup rumours flying around everywhere.

[bertman]

1. Damn, those Presidents just love that Unitary Executive concept, don't they?

[EFerrari]

2. Yikes. That sounds very serious. n/t

[rabs]

3. Yep, getting serious for Zelaya

Supreme Court today ordered army chief to be reinstated. Zelaya refused.


Hundreds of troops deployed in streets of the capital today.

In Caracas, Hugo Chavez said today a coup is being hatched in Honduras.

Honduran Congress in session tonight to investigate Zelaya's actions regarding the voting set for Sunday. Supreme Court has ruled that the referendum is illegal.

Stay tuned. :hi:

[David__77]

4. I hope Zelaya succeeds, but see a problem with personalism.

Chavez, Morales, Correa, Ortega, Zelaya, have all been vast improvements over their predecessors. But there is a problem if a social process becomes too dependent on one individual's leadership. In Venezuela, for instance, I would have preferred for another candidate to become president, and for Chavez to continue as party leader.