We are in difficult times.

This is the impression we get when we review the latest news from Honduras and the world.

For example, the corruption scandal in Hondutel. The company Latin Node confessed to a Miami court that it had bribed officials from Hondutel. Immediately, Mel Zelaya’s government launched a smokescreen campaign accusing Mr. Otto Reich, who was a U.S. official, of defamation. Once again, the government is abusing of national chains and paid advertisements, with a clearly dictatorial pose.

Then, the Liberal Party Convention. Mel Zelaya tried to prevent Roberto Micheletti, president of the National Congress, of being sworn as president of the Central Executive of the party. Apparently Mel Zelaya suffers Micheletti strong opposition against his project of the fourth ballot box, which many think it’s a mean to remain in power.

The funny thing was hearing the statements of Patricia Rodas, Mel’s ideologue, accusing Micheletti of going against the statutes of the Liberal Party, when she breached them herself.

The Liberal Party is clearly divided between the small group that supports Mel Zelaya’s pretensions for staying in office and those opposing him. Although the group in favor of Mel is small, it has the power of the government.

It’s true Micheletti was booed when he was sworn in, but some say it was a group of activists paid by the government. Others say that Micheletti is widely rejected in the grass roots of the Liberal Party. Indeed, the presidential candidate Elvin Santos appointed Micheletti as President of the Central Executive to cement the unity of the Party and bring it to victory.

The attack of president Mel Zelaya against Micheletti gave the impression that he was proposed to destroy his own party. This is consistent with the perception that Mel is setting the favorable stage for continuing in power.

Moreover, the government has taken too long to present the national budget this year, so government agencies are working with last year’s budget. This delay hinders governance, and threatens to sabotage the electoral process, which is convenient to the referred pretensions of staying illegally in office.

Roberto Micheletti himself has added fuel to the fire by presenting his proposed 15th salary. This would further increase unemployment caused by the disproportionate increase of the minimum wage of President Zelaya. Zelaya himself has opposed the measure as “populist.” However, he’s agreed to pay the 15th salary, provided that it is fully funded by employers, and not giving them any deduction from their taxes.

The government seems to forget we are in the midst of an international economic crisis, and that this is not the time for sterile discussions and populist measures, if they are really interested in the welfare of the people.

But it is clear that this is not the case. They are not interested in the people. We are in an election year and politicians have their eye in public offices. But the scale of the current crisis should awaken them from their stupor caused by hunger for power. It is necessary to solve current problems, not to create new ones. We need more dialogue, not more confrontation. But it is useless.

And if the international economic crisis and the clumsy governmental management were not enough trouble, we now have the threat of swine flu, which is expected to soon come to Honduras, causing more deaths and further depressing the economy.

Meanwhile, Mel Zelaya is flooding the media with his fourth ballot campaign, and his defense against allegations of corruption against Hondutel to the point of spending in a repetitive television ad discrediting Otto Reich.

And after all the above, this still claims to be the best government in the history of Honduras, and intends to stay in power. The nerve of Mel and his supporters is unbelievable.