National Congress of Honduras

The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of Honduras.

National Congress of Honduras
Type
Type
Leadership
Mauricio Oliva, National Party
since 25 January 2014
Structure
Seats128
Political groups
Government (67)

Opposition (61)

Elections
Open list proportional representation
Last election
26 November 2017
Next election
28 November 2021
Meeting place
Tegucigalpa
Website
www.congresonacional.hn
Honduras
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Honduras
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Elections
Political parties
Foreign relations

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.

Directive

2018-2022 legislative period

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

  • Mauricio Oliva (President) (PNH)
  • Antonio César Rivera (1st Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Denis Armando Castro (2nd Vice-President) (APH)
  • Milton Jesus Puerto Oseguera (3rd Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Mario Noé Villafranca (4th Vice-President) (UD)
  • Felicito Ávila Ordóñez (5th Vice-President) (DC)
  • Gladis Aurora López (6th Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Román Villeda Aguilar (7th Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Elden Vásquez (Alternate Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Walter Antonio Chávez Hernández (Alternate Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Olga Josefa Ayala Alvarenga (Alternate Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Dunia Lizzette Ortiz Cruz (Alternate Vice-President) (APH)
  • José Tomás Zambrano Molina (1st Secretary) (PNH)
  • Salvador Valeriano Pineda (2nd Secretary) (PNH)
  • Teresa Concepción Cálix Raudales (1st Pro-Secretary) (PNH)
  • Rossel Renán Inestroza Martínez (2nd Pro-Secretary) (PNH)
  • Gerardo Tulio Martínez Pineda (Alternate Secretary) (PNH)
  • Wilmer Raynel Neal Velásquez (Alternate Secretary) (PNH)

2014–2018 legislative period

The current directive of the National Congress is:[2]

  • Mauricio Oliva (President) (PNH)
  • Gladis Aurora López (1st Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Lena Gutiérrez Arévalo (2nd Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Antonio Rivera Callejas (3rd Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Milton de Jesús Puerto (4th Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Miguel Edgardo Martínez (5th Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Augusto Cruz Ascensio (6th Vice-President) (DC)
  • Edwin Roberto Pavón (7th Vice-President) (UD)
  • Rolando Dubón Bueso (Alternate Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Ramón Antonio Leva Bulnes (Alternate Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Jose Vicente de León Rojas (Alternate Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Mario Alonso Perez (1st Secretary) (PNH)
  • Román Villeda Aguilar (2nd Secretary) (PNH)
  • José María Martínez (Alternate Secretary) (PNH)
  • Wilmer Neal Velásquez (Alternate Secretary) (PNH)
  • José Tomás Zambrano (1st Pro-Secretary) (PNH)
  • Sara Ismena Medina Galo (2nd Pro-Secretary) (PNH)

2010–2014 legislative period

The directive of the National Congress for the period 2010–2014 is:[3]

  • Juan Orlando Hernández (President) (PNH)
  • Lena Gutiérrez Arévalo (1st Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Marlon Lara (2nd Vice-President) (PLH)
  • Ramón Velásquez Názar (3rd Vice-President) (DC)
  • Marvin Ponce (4th Vice-President) (PUD)
  • Martha Concepción Guevara (5th Vice-President)(PNH)
  • Nora de Melgar (6th Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Rigoberto Chang Castillo (1st Secretary) (PNH)
  • Gladis Aurora López (2nd Secretary) (PNH)
  • Eliseo Noel Mejía (Pro-Secretary) (PNH)
  • Yariel Waldina Paz (Pro-Secretary) (PLH)
  • Óscar Orlando Burgos (Alternate Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Victoria Carrasco García (Alternate Vice-President) (PNH)
  • Ángel Banegas (Alternate Secretary) (PLH)
  • Milton de Jesús Puerto (Alternate Secretary) (PNH)

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
[4]

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.[5] On the following months, Cotto joined the DC.[6]

On February 21, 2015, Congresswoman Tatiana Canales announced her incorporation to the Liberal Party, after failed negotiations with PAC.[7] 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.[8]

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[9]

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[10] 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 [11][12]

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.[13][14] 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.[15]

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.[16][17]

In 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. Also on the half of May 2016, the deputy of the independent group Omar Rodríguez has decided to return to the Liberal Party now with 29 deputies on the caucus. On the final days of the month of May the deputy Dennis Antonio Sánchez has decided to return to the Liberal Party now with 30 deputies on their caucus, now the party is the second largest political group in the congress.[18][19][20]

In July 2016, the deputy of the independent group Yenny Murillo has decided to return to the National Party of Honduras, with the reason that she is feeling changes in the form of life in Honduras, also had said that she is in favour of the reelection but with a regulation that will be established on the Constitution of the Republic, to limit how many times a president can be reelected.[21][22]

Also in the final week of September 2016, the deputy of the independent group Kritza Pérez has decided finally to be a member of the Liberal Party of Honduras based on the reason that in his first party PAC, they don't allow the pluralism of ideas and discrimination against women that they have announced several times on the national media.[23]

On the first days of November 2016, the deputy of the independent group Ana Joselina Fortín has decided to join to the National Party of Honduras based on the reason that she wants the reelection of the current president and to establish limits on how many times a president can be reelected. [24]

On the first days of December 2016, the deputy of the department of Cortés Jaime Enrique Villegas has decided to resign from the Anticorruption Party based on the reasons that they had differences with the leaders of the party and they don't allow him to participate on decisions of importance. But later in July 2017 he decided to be a member of the National Party of Honduras and to be candidate for the general election in 2017 [25][26]

Also on the same month of December 2016 the deputy of Comayagua Liliam Villatoro has decided to resign from the Anticorruption Party because she has expressed with the leader of the party Salvador Nasralla and they don't allow her to participate on the sessions of the party with new ideas.[27]

On the half days of July 2017, the deputies Rafael Padilla and David Reyes of the departments of Francisco Morazán and Choluteca respectively, have joined to the Innovation and Unity Party, based on the reason that the two deputies they don't want their original party, the Anticorruption Party to be led by the congresswoman Marlene Alvarenga.[28]

On the first days of August 2017, the deputies of Cortés Fátima Mena and Anibal Cálix has decided to join as deputies of the Innovation and Unity party, based on the reason that they don't want to be members of the Anticorruption Party led now by congresswoman Marlene Alvarenga. As of August 2017, none of the elected congressmen of the National Party, PINU, and UD have resigned from their respective party affiliation[29][30]

On the last days of September 2017, the deputies of the independent group Walter Banegas and Lilian Villatoro of the departments of Cortés and Comayagua respectively has decided to join as members of the Liberal Party of Honduras based on the reason that their original party, the Anticorruption Party no longer exists thus, increasing the Liberal caucus to 33.[31]

On the last days of October 2017, the deputy of Cortés Luis Redondo has decided to join as deputy of the Innovation and Unity party, based on the reason that he won't be a member of the Anticorruption party led by congresswoman Marlene Alvarenga.[32]

 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 1900-1982

[33]

Name Term Party Notes
Carlos Alberto Ucles 1900-1902
Rafael Alvarado Guerrero 1902-1903
Fausto Dávila 1904-1906
Francisco Escobar 1911-1913
Rafael Alvarado Manzano 1914–1915 National Party of Honduras
Francisco Escobar 1915-1918
Francisco Bográn 1919-1920
Angel Ugarte 1921 Liberal Party of Honduras
Miguel Oqueli Bustillo 1923 Liberal Party of Honduras
Ángel Sevilla Ramírez 1924 National Party of Honduras
Ramón Alcerro Castro 1924 President of the Constituent Assembly of 1924
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 Mojeron 1932 National Party of Honduras
Abraham Williams Calderón 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 Constituent Assembly of 1934
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 Rodríguez 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
Modesto Rodas Alvarado 1957–1963 Liberal Party of Honduras He was overthrown by the military coup led by Oswaldo López Arellano.
Héctor Orlando Gómez Cisneros 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

[33]

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
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  21. "Radio HRN (@radiohrn)". Twitter. 2009-07-09. Retrieved 2016-07-31.
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  23. "Partido Liberal se convierte en la segunda fuerza en el Congreso Nacional".
  24. "De la mano de Dios y con el apoyo del pueblo hondureño, voy a ser el próximo presidente de Honduras". 6 November 2016.
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  33. http://www.xplorhonduras.com/presidentes-del-congreso-nacional-1900-2014/
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