Saavedra Urges Lobo to Veto Security Tax Soon

I respectfully ask the President of the Republic to once and for all veto this decree, because legally that is the procedure.

-José Alfredo Saavedra, Liberal Party

Honduras Weekly
Congressman José Alfredo Saavedra of the Liberal Party yesterday warned that the legislation imposing a US$17 tax on all entries into Honduras and all departures will take effect unless President Porfirio Lobo vetoes the measure. On Monday, Minister of Communications Miguel Ángel Bonilla announced that President Lobo would not approve the "security tax" bill (Decree 252-2011) passed by Congress on December 14, 2011. Earlier that today, the Honduran Bar of Anti-corruption Attorneys filed a writ of amparo with the Supreme Court to block implementation of the tax. But according to Mr. Saavedra, the Constitution (Article 216) clearly stipulates that the President must veto any legislation he does not support, and return it to Congress.

Mr. Saavedra stressed that without an actual presidential veto "we are leaving a window open, we are leaving a door open so that at any moment that decree can become the law of the land". He added, "I respectfully ask the President of the Republic to once and for all veto this decree, because legally that is the procedure."

Mr. Saavedra served as the president of the Congress from June 28, 2009 until January 25, 2010 during the administration of interim President Roberto Micheletti. He represents the department of Valle. Mr. Saavedra was succeeded by the current president of the Congress, Juan Orlando Hernández of the Nationalist Party. (1/9/12)