Honduras opposition will struggle against Hernandez

Subject

Pre-election politics.

Significance

On May 21, Salvador Nasralla was selected as the presidential candidate for a broad grouping of opposition parties seeking to challenge incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez in his attempt to win re-election in the November 26 polls. With the main presidential candidates now in place, attention will shift to the election campaigns themselves, where the opposition coalition may struggle to present a coherent agenda.

Impacts

• An antagonistic election campaign will put an extra burden on the monitoring process.
• The election will be watched closely in neighbouring Guatemala, with which security co-operation has increased under Hernandez.
• Challenges to Nasralla’s candidacy may provoke criticism of the Supreme Electoral Court, heightening concerns about judicial independence.
• Given the Alianza’s anti-corruption stance, a major corruption scandal could prove an election gamechanger.