Honduras Reaches Deal on Political Crisis

By Brian Wagner

Miami, Florida
30 October 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.