Honduran Leader Backs Return of President

[Judi Lynn]

Honduran Leader Backs Return of President
By GINGER THOMPSON
Published: July 29, 2009

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The head of Honduras’s de facto government, Roberto Micheletti, has expressed support for a compromise that would allow the ousted president of his country to return to power, according to officials in the de facto government and diplomats from the region.

But the nation is so polarized over the possible return that Mr. Micheletti is reaching out to other regional leaders for help in building support for such a deal, especially among the country’s elite, the officials said.

Mr. Micheletti has repeatedly refused to entertain the reinstatement of the ousted president, Manuel Zelaya. But on Wednesday, the officials said, Mr. Micheletti called President Óscar Arias of Costa Rica, who has tried to mediate a diplomatic solution to the Honduran political crisis, to express his support for a 12-point plan Mr. Arias presented. The plan, known as the San José Accord, would allow Mr. Zelaya to return as president, although with significantly limited powers.

The officials said that Mr. Micheletti warned President Arias that he had not been able to persuade other parts of the Honduran government, or the leaders of the Honduran business community, to go along with the proposal. So he asked Mr. Arias to consider sending a prominent international political figure to help him stem the fierce opposition.

One of those mentioned as a possible envoy was Enrique V. Iglesias, the former head of the Inter-American Development Bank and current secretary general of the Ibero-American Cooperation Secretariat, which was created in 2005 to increase cooperation between Spain, Portugal and Latin America.

“Today is an important day,” said one of the officials who spoke about Mr. Micheletti’s call to Mr. Arias. “President Arias essentially has Mr. Micheletti calling to say he thinks the San José Accord is a good framework, but that to make the accord work, he needs help building political support inside the country.”

Another official who confirmed the call echoed that sentiment, saying, “This is good news.”

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/world/americas/30honduras.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

[Downwinder]

1. The Zelaya supporters are not going to find that acceptable,