Juan Zamorano
Associated Press
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras: Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said Friday that a US-brokered pact failed to end a four-month political crisis after a deadline for forming a unity government passed. “The accord is dead,” Zelaya told Radio Globo from from the Brazilian Embassy where he has been hold up under threat of arrest.
“There is no sense in deceiving Hondurans.” Forged last week with the help of US diplomats, the pact gave the two sides until midnight Thursday to install a government with supporters of Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti, who was named interim president by Congress after Zelaya was ousted on June 28.
Jorge Reina, a negotiator for Zelaya, said the pact fell apart because Congress failed to vote on whether to reinstate the deposed president before the deadline for forming the unity government.
The pact did not require Zelaya’s return to the presidency. It left the decision up to Congress. Zelaya interpreted that to mean that Congress had to vote on the issue by Thursday.
Supporters of Micheletti disputed that, saying the pact required that members of the unity Cabinet be in place by Thursday but that there was no deadline for Congress to meet.
“The de facto regime has failed to live up to the promise that, by this date, the national government would be installed. And by law, it should be presided by the president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya,” Reina said.
Shortly before midnight, Micheletti announced that a unity government had been created even though Zelaya had not submitted his own list of members.
Micheletti said the new government was composed of candidates proposed by political parties and civic groups. He did not name the new members.
It was the latest setback for international efforts to resolve the Honduran standoff before November 29 presidential elections, which several Latin American countries have vowed not to recognized if held under the coup-installed Micheletti government.
The United States has suspended millions of dollars in aid to the impoverished Central American nation.
The elections had been scheduled before Zelaya was ousted. Neither he nor Micheletti are candidates.
Zelaya supporters gathered outside Congress on Thursday to demand his reinstatement.
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