MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Honduras crisis remains stalled but effective dialogue has started

Micheletti also wants Zelaya to step aside, to end the crisis

Honduras ousted president Manuel Zelaya said on Thursday that the head of the de facto government Roberto Micheletti is planning to stay longer than anticipated in office.

“The international community must act strongly because Micheletti wants to stay longer in power”, Zelaya was quoted at the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa where he has been holed in since last month with the support of the Brazilian government.

“We had already warned that the position of the de facto regime is of not giving in and not handing the presidential office to its legitimate authorities”, added Zelaya.

“These are bad omens, it has been proved that there is no willingness to hold negotiations and that they want elections Afghanistan style by fire and sword”, insisted the ousted leader interviewed by a local television channel.

Micheletti on Wednesday told the Organization of American States, OAS, mediation mission that he is willing to leave office but if Zelaya “also steps aside”, and this is “non negotiable”.

Zelaya meantime has given the OAS team and Micheletti until next October 15 for his return to office as the international community is demanding and the San Jose de Costa Rica agreement negotiated by President Oscar Arias.

Presidential elections are scheduled in Honduras for next November 29th and all sides including mediators and dialogue facilitators are hoping that an agreement is reached so they can effectively take place, and thus hopefully, end the crisis which was triggered when president Zelaya was ousted at gun point June 28th.

However the international community has warned that the election results will not be acknowledged unless first of all Mr. Zelaya is reinstated to office.

But Micheletti has said “there’s no way of stopping the (November) elections”.

Meantime the OAS mission sent to help mediate left on Wednesday without having been able to convince the two sides on an agreement.

“The OAS is convinced that the dialogue begun with the direct participation of the parties could lead to a settlement of the crisis,” the delegation said in a statement.

It called for respect for human rights and the restoration of civil liberties to create conditions for a dialogue, referring to a crackdown on dissent by the de facto government led by Micheletti.

They also asked that the de facto government allow “normal access and consultations” with Zelaya, who has remained holed up since September 21 in the Brazilian embassy surrounded by government forces.

The delegation said the OAS, which suspended Honduras's membership July 5, hoped that the negotiations would lead to a restoration of democratic order and the country's reintegration with the international community.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said it was important that the two sides had begun to talk.

“There was a positive tone in the meetings... For the first time, a meeting mediated by the OAS ministers, between the two sides. And I think that's important,” he said.