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CENTRAL AMERICA |
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Honduras President, De Facto Leader Spar
Over Deal
TEGUCIGALPA — Honduran de facto leader
Roberto Micheletti has called for ousted
President Manuel Zelaya to rejoin dialogue
to form a unity government, though the
deposed leader quickly responded by
declaring the offer a "non-starter."
"The government of Honduras reiterates its
readiness to proceed with the implementation
of the agreement and urges the other side to
return to the dialogue framework to enable
the formation of a government of national
unity and reconciliation," Micheletti said
through a spokesman.
Zelaya, ousted in a coup in June, however
later told Radio Globo that the deal was a
"non-starter" because Micheletti had failed
to reinstate him and his ministers.
The US-brokered deal to end the nation's
four-month crisis collapsed last week when
Zelaya pulled out, after Micheletti
announced a new "unity" government without
his participation.
Presidential elections due on November 29
are in jeopardy as Zelaya called for his
supporters to boycott them and return to the
streets of the polarized nation.
Zelaya, still holed up in the Brazilian
embassy after making a surprise return to
the capital in September, told AFP earlier
that there was no point continuing with
negotiations because "the agreements have
been constantly violated."
The accord had given Zelaya and Micheletti's
camps until midnight last Thursday to set up
a reconciliation government to represent
both sides.
Although it did not require that Zelaya be
reinstated, the pact said that decision
should be left to Congress, without setting
a deadline for the vote, which has not yet
taken place.
Shortly before the deadline, Micheletti
announced a unity government without
including Zelaya ministers.
The ousted leader had refused to present
nominees for the posts unless he was first
reinstated to "reverse the coup" of June 28.
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