| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Honduran talks resume, radio says deal may be near |
| 2009-10-30 |
| TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and de facto rulers in power since a June "We are at the same point as where we started, with 95 percent agreed on," Zelaya said. "There is absolutely no approval yet of anything." A team led by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Tom Shannon and Dan Restrepo, Washington's special assistant for Western Hemisphere affairs, is in Tegucigalpa for a last-ditch effort to broker a resolution. Zelaya, holed up in the Brazilian Embassy surrounded by troops, pulled out of the most recent talks last week. "Time is running out. We only have a month. We need an agreement as soon as possible," Shannon said after the U.S. officials met with both sides. Radio Globo said a deal, including an agreement on letting Zelaya serve the end of his term to January, was close to completion and awaiting approval by the country's Congress. Zelaya adviser Rasel Tome said the talks were advancing. "We are in the course, in the moments of history, hoping (an accord) will be signed. We are going well," he told Reuters. Vilma Morales, an envoy for de facto leader Roberto Micheletti, noted the Supreme Court -- which ordered the The coffee-producing Central American country has been diplomatically isolated since Zelaya was rousted at dawn by soldiers and flown to exile on a military plane. He had angered many in Honduras by warming up to socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Critics also alleged he was seeking backing to extend presidential term limits, something he denies. Critics of Micheletti, who was appointed by Congress after the coup, say he wants to stay in power until a presidential election scheduled for November 29. In a sign the United States is stepping up its involvement, Shannon sat in on Thursday's talks and said his delegation would stay an extra day to help Hondurans broker a deal. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 Michelletti's nephew was just murdered, and now this change of stance. Stinks to high heaven. Hopefull Zelaya returns to Honduras and gets whacked, in full view of the cameras. There is no negotiating with the left - they only understand power as Mao described it - eminating from a gun barrel. |
| Posted by: Rob06 2009-10-30 15:26 |
| #3 Anything from the ICJ about Brazil's embassy giving cover to Mel? Isn't that usually considered to be unfriendly? |
| Posted by: mojo 2009-10-30 11:02 |
| #2 Fausta's Blog has the terms: 1. The creation of a reconciliation government. 2. Rejection of political amnesty. 3. Recognition of the November 29 elections. 4. Transferring control of the Armed Forces from the Executive to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. 5. Creating a verification commission to enforce compliance with the agreement. 6. Creating a truth commission to investigate the events before, during and after June 28, the date of ZelayaÂ’s removal. 7. Requesting that the international community end all sanctions against Honduras and that they send in observers to the presidential election. 8. Supporting the proposal for a vote of the National Congress with the approval of the Supreme Court of Justice to reinstate all the Executive Power prior to June 28, that is, restoring Zelaya to power. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-10-30 09:44 |
| #1 Honduras' ousted president, government sign pact The agreement appears to soften Micheletti's previous stance that the Supreme Court — which has already rejected Zelaya's reinstatement — decide the issue. Instead, the high court would make a recommendation, but the final decision would apparently be left to a vote in Congress. The agreement would create a power-sharing government and bind both sides to recognize the Nov. 29 presidential elections. The international community had threatened to not recognize the vote if Zelaya is not reinstated, but on Thursday, OAS Political Affairs Secretary Victor Rico told reporters that "the United States and the OAS will accompany Honduras in the elections" as a result of the accord. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-10-30 08:35 |