Do New Election Laws Spell Trouble for Honduras?

I participated in the Inter-American Dialogue's Latin America Advisor debate on Do New Election Laws Spell Trouble for Honduras? Here were their questions:

Former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya last month confirmed that he would run for president in 2017. Current President Juan Orlando Hernández is also seeking re-election, in light of a Supreme Court ruling last year striking down a law banning presidents from seeking a second term. However, certain aspects of the new election laws have yet to be defined, such as term limits and whether terms can be consecutive. How will Zelaya’s announcement influence the debate surrounding Honduran election practices, a contentious topic that had led to his ouster in a 2009 coup? How is the 2017 presidential race shaping up, and what issues will be most important to voters in the next election

And here's the intro to my contribution:

Seven years after the unconstitutional overthrow of its democratically elected president, Honduras is struggling to return to the relatively low levels of democracy and rule of law that existed prior to the coup. Given the questionable natures of the 2009 and 2012 national elections and recent rulings by the Supreme Court related to interpretation of electoral laws, it is difficult to envision how the upcoming general elections will contribute to the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law. 

You can read the rest of my answer and those of the other participants, including Adam Blackwell, here.