MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

OAS plans to reincorporate Honduras and lift sanctions next week

Former Chilean president Raul Lagos was named to the agreement verification committee

The Organization of American States, OAS, is planning an extraordinary general assembly for next week to approve the reincorporation of Honduras in anticipation of the country’s presidential election November 29th, according to Chilean minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariano Fernández.

“Most probably towards the end of next week we should be holding an extraordinary general assembly to reorganize the comeback of Honduras to OAS”, said Fernandez who none the less admitted so far “it has been informal contacts”.

“The idea is that Honduras can return to OAS as soon as possible and that the election of November 29th can evolve with normality and with legitimately” he added anticipating that this would also mean lifting all sanctions against the de facto government.

Last October 30, representatives from ousted president Manuel Zelaya and the head of the de facto government Roberto Micheletti reached an agreement, sponsored by OAS and the US, to end the institutional crisis which includes naming a national reconciliation government and ensuring the November 29th election.

Although both Honduran leaders have continued to exchange accusations, Fernandez said “this was natural and expected when such a difficult situation as that of Honduras finds a course of action forward”.

The crisis was triggered on June 28th when the military following orders from the Supreme Court and Congress arrested President Zelaya at gun point and flew him out of the country. However in September he managed to sneak back and is currently holed in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa.

On Tuesday former Chilean president Ricardo Lagos and US Labour Secretary Hilda Solis are expected in Tegucigalpa to join the special committee of personalities that will verify the compliance of the agreement, one of several points of the agreement.

Ousted president Zelaya praised the naming of Mr. Lagos to the committee: “I have the best concept of Mr. Lagos. He is a true democrat and comes from a country like Chile which has suffered military coups, and reversing such a situation is a challenge for democracy. I extend the warmest welcome to Mr. Lagos.