Several newly elected lawmakers from Castro’s Liberty and Refoundation Party, known as Libre, defected Friday and elected their own congressional leader Jorge Clix. They rejected Castros choice, Luis Redondo, a selection rooted in the political alliance that helped her win the election in November.

Critics say that neither of the leadership teams was chosen or installed legally and Tiziano Breda, an analyst with Crisis Group, said that a quick political solution was urgently needed.

Politically you run the risk of provoking a legislative paralysis, where the initiatives approved by Clix are vetoed by the president or not even considered, while Redondos team doesnt have the necessary votes in Congress or lacks legality, he said.

Breda feared the crisis could extend to a third branch of Honduran government if the dispute lands before the Supreme Court, which is viewed as friendly to the outgoing National Party of Hernndez and therefore distrusted by Hondurans who backed Castro.

The risk is that the continued uncertainty could deter badly needed international investments in Honduras, Breda said.

That international support will be critical to Castros ability to begin to right a country suffering from soaring unemployment and high rates of violence just two of the factors that have driven Honduras to flee the country in recent years.

At a social level, the resentment and exhaustion that drove the majority of Hondurans to vote for a change in November would be fed if they see the political class continues to be tangling up power struggles and individual interests instead of taking on the countrys urgent issues, Breda said. This could translate to more social turbulence and growing migration.

Helen Euceda, a 39-year-old doctor on her way to work, said it is critical that the new government focus its attention immediately on the health and education of the people.

With (Castro) in government it is an opportunity for women, who are capable of taking on problems, Euceda said. It wont be short term, but there is an opportunity to show the ability and gender inclusion.