WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and a former Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, today made the following statement on calls by the Organization of American States (OAS) for Honduras to hold a new presidential election:

“I strongly support calls by the OAS for the Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to hold a new presidential election in early 2018. On November 26th, Honduras held a presidential election which was marred by irregularities and a lack of transparency. With the strength of democracies in the Americas depending in no small part on our collective commitment to electoral transparency, I believe that a new election must take place. I am pleased that former Presidents Jorge Quiroga and Alvaro Colom have been named as the OAS’s Special Representatives for a new electoral process and urge all parties to work closely with them in ensuring that peaceful, clean elections can be held as soon as possible. Most importantly, at this difficult moment, I urge everyone in the country—particularly the Honduran security forces—to refrain from violence.”

# # #