Honduran poll on support for Zelaya return and for the coup.

Given that the military, the RC Church hierarchy, and the business elite support the coup--although they wish perhaps the leaders were a bit more flexible it is clear that it is workers, farmers, and teachers and the like who support Zelaya because they have been helped by his reforms such as increasing the minimum wage. Nevertheless there is a strong lobby in the US supporting the coup backed up by a big PR campaign run by US PR companies one of them at least well connected to Hilary Clinton. This is from narcosphere.

So far I have not seen these poll numbers in the mainstream press or even on Glenn BeckGlenn Beck!

It does not look as if there is much progress in the OAS negotiations. I am surprised. I thought that the coup leaders would compromise since the situation is very detrimental to the Honduran economy. Something could be worked out eventually but I doubt that it will give any power at all to Zelaya. Also the presidential election is coming up soon and his own term would be up in January. Any solution will give him a purely symbolic presidency. Any real power for change lies in the oppositiion groups that were energised by his reforms..

""""Finally, hard and reliable data - by a legally certified Honduran polling company - provides a clear measurement of how the Honduran people view the June 28 coup d'etat, its "president" Roberto Micheletti, President Manuel ZelayaManuel Zelaya and the national civil resistance.

The polling data - which we make public for the first time here - shows that Hondurans widely (by a margin of 3 to 1) oppose the coup, oppose coup "president" Micheletti by a margin of 3 to 1 and favor the reinstatement of their elected President Manuel Zelaya by a clear majority of 3 to 2.

On February 9 of this year, the Gaceta Oficial of the government of Honduras published the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's certification of a Tegucigalpa polling company, COIMER & OP (Consultants in Investigation of Markets and Public Opinion), as a legally authorized pollster for the November 29 elections. The Tribunal inspected the company's polling methodology, its offices, its staff, gave it the stamp of approval and the green light to survey the Honduran electorate.

The Field has obtained the full results of a recent COIMER & OP survey of 1,470 Honduran citizens over 18 years of age at randomly selected homes (no more than one respondent allowed from each home) proportional to national, state and municipal population and matching other demographic measurements (gender, age, etcetera) in the country, from August 23 to 29 of this year. The poll has a margin of error of four percent.

This is the first survey to be made public since a July Gallup poll showed a plurality of Hondurans opposed the coup d'etat and Roberto Micheletti, and a plurality wanted Zelaya back as president. What is interesting from this survey is that opposition to Micheletti and the coup increased between early July and late August from mere pluralities to a punishing majority: evidence that the nonviolent civil resistance movement has worked effectively to strip legitimacy from the coup regime. As of late August, only 17.4 percent of Hondurans favor the coup d'etat, only 22.2 percent believe Micheletti should remain as president, and only 33 percent oppose the restitution of President Manuel Zelaya.

For English speakers, we will translate the survey questions and the results here, adding some analysis:

Are you in favor of the June 28 coup d'etat against President Manuel Zelaya Rosales?

In favor of coup: 17.4 percent

Opposed to coup: 52.7 percent

No response: 29.9 percent

"......Meanwhile, coup "president" Micheletti remains a very unpopular man among Hondurans:

Should Micheletti stay in power or leave the current government?

Micheletti should stay: 22.2 percent

Micheletti should leave: 60.1 percent

No response: 17.7 percent

.......................

A clear majority supports Manuel Zelaya's return to the presidency - 60 percent of those who express an opinion:

Do you support the return of Manuel Zelaya Rosales to the Presidency of the Republic?

Support Zelaya's return: 51.6 percent

Oppose Zelaya's return: 33 percent """"

No response: 15.4 percent