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Honduras GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Government: In 1982 freely elected civilian
president and
National Congress inaugurated, returning country to
constitutional
rule after ten years of military-led government. New
constitution,
country's sixteenth, devised and ratified by Constituent
Assembly
in 1982. President, three presidential designates (vice
presidents), deputies of 134-member Congress, and nine
justices of
Supreme Court of Justice all serve four-year terms.
President
appoints and dismisses twelve secretaries of state and two
other
agency directors, who form Council of Ministers, or
cabinet. Most
heads of various decentralized autonomous and
semiautonomous
agencies appointed by, or with concurrence of, president,
who also
appoints eighteen departmental governors. Local
governments
(municipios), including mayor and five- to
seven-member
council, normally elected every two to three years.
Politics: Revolve around Liberal Party of
Honduras and
National Party of Honduras. Since late 1960s, armed forces
have
evolved as principal political force, governing directly,
influencing general policy, or controlling national
security
affairs. Private enterprise sector, labor, peasants,
teachers, and
professionals all highly organized and actively pursue own
interests through a variety of means, including media,
personal
contact with officials, rallies, and demonstrations.
Judicial System: Judicial system consists of
Supreme
Court of Justice, which handles both civil and criminal
cases,
courts of appeal, courts of first instance at departmental
level,
and justices of the peace at municipal level.
Administrative Divisions: Eighteen departments,
further
divided into 291 municipalities.
Foreign Relations: During 1980s focused on
national
defense and efforts to achieve peace and stability within
Central
America. Regional political crisis, arrival of thousands
of
refugees in Honduras, and presence of anti-Sandinista
counterrevolutionaries on Honduran territory burdened
country and
drew it closer to conflict. Involvement in regional
politics
deepened as Honduras expanded military ties with United
States
through increased levels of military aid, modification and
construction of airfields, establishment of regional
training
center, and series of large military exercises. Following
early
1990s' peace accords, relations with neighbors have
improved, and
Honduras has become less dependent on United States aid.
International Agreements and Memberships:
Membership in
Organization of American States (OAS), Central American
Common
Market, Central American Integration System, and United
Nations and
its specialized agencies. Important treaties include: 1947
InterAmerican Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty),
Treaty for
the Proscription of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America
(Tlatelolco
Treaty), and Central American Peace Agreement (Esquipulas
II).
Data as of December 1993
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