Insulza: Post-coup Honduras government cedes no ground

Jul 4, 2009, 3:09 GMT

Tegucigalpa - Jose Miguel Insulza, the secretary- general of the Organization of American States(OAS), said Friday he had failed to make any diplomatic progress with the post-coup leaders who ousted President Manuel Zelaya last weekend.

The Supreme Court rejected demands by the OAS to allow Zelaya to return to office. The OAS set a deadline of Saturday to reinstate Zelaya, the democratically-elected president, or face suspension from membership in the OAS.

'I didn't expect them to change their mind,' Inzulza told reporters in the Honduran capital.

Zelaya, who faces arrest back in Honduras, is planning to return to his country Saturday to demand back the presidency. He is to be escorted by Presidents Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina and Rafael Correa of Ecuador.

UN General Assembly President, Miguel d'Escoto of Nicaragua, also declared his readiness to accompany Zelaya back to Tegucigalpa after the UN condemned the coup. The General Assembly has acknowledged Zelaya as the rightful president and denied recognition to Roberto Micheletti - the former Congress speaker who was designated president after Sunday's coup d'etat.

Insulza spoke after meeting with representatives of the official institutions, including the Supreme Court, and with supporters of Zelaya. He is to present the results of his meetings to the OAS Saturday in Washington.

Hours before Insulza's arrival, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tegucigalpa to demonstrate both for and against Zelaya.

A presidential election was scheduled for November, and the interim government headed by Micheletti has said they would stick to that date.

The military, Supreme Court and Congress charged Zelaya was making a power grab by trying to change the constitution so he could run for another term of office.

A number of countries, including all members of the European Union, have withdrawn their ambassadors from Honduras to protest the ouster of a democratically-elected president.