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Miami, Florida, October 31, 2009 – The de facto
Honduran government has agreed to a deal that may allow ousted President
Manuel Zelaya to return to power ahead of elections next month. U.S.
diplomats have been in the country to mediate an end to the
four-month-old crisis.
De facto President Roberto Micheletti unveiled the plan late Thursday,
nearly four months after he took over for ousted President Manuel Zelaya.
Since then, Mr. Micheletti has rejected calls from Mr. Zelaya and many
foreign governments to restore the ousted leader to power, saying the
Supreme Court had stripped Mr. Zelaya of power for violating the
Honduran constitution.
Now after several weeks of negotiations, Mr. Micheletti said his
government was making a significant concession to open the door to Mr.
Zelaya's return.
He said the government has been clear that the Supreme Court must decide
whether to allow Mr. Zelaya to return to power. He added officials
understand that Hondurans want peace and an end to the crisis.
Under the deal, the Supreme Court must authorize the Congress to vote on
whether to allow Mr. Zelaya to return to power and serve the remaining
three months of his term. It also calls for a commission to investigate
the events surrounding Mr. Zelaya's removal from office.
Mr. Zelaya, who has been living in the Brazilian embassy for the past
month, told reporters the deal was a triumph for Honduran democracy.
On a trip to Pakistan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton congratulated
both sides for reaching what she called an historic agreement. She said
it was a rare example of a Latin American country where dialogue helped
to overcome a break in the constitutional order.
Earlier this month, diplomats from the Organization of American States
launched a set of talks aimed at resolving the crisis between Mr. Zelaya
and the de facto government. The OAS, along with the United States and
other governments, had warned they would not recognize the outcome of
November elections unless a deal was reached.
This week, a team of U.S. diplomats arrived in Honduras to make a final
push for resolution, as preparations for the vote get underway.
U.S. officials have suspended millions of dollars in aid to Honduras in
response to the political crisis. After announcing the deal, de facto
president Micheletti called on the United States and other foreign
nations to reverse the economic penalties.
Source: VOA News, October 30, 2009
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