Ousted Honduran president calls UN for help by mobile phone (1st Lead)

Sep 29, 2009, 11:28 GMT

Tegucigalpa, Honduras/New York - Ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya has issued a plea for help to the UN General Assembly, saying his country has turned into a dictatorship, as the de facto government backed down on tough security measures faced with parliamentary opposition.

The de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti meanwhile said a delegation of foreign ministers from the Organization of American States (OAS) and its Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza could visit the Central American country on October 7.

OAS personnel preparing the visit could also come from Friday onwards, the de facto foreign ministry said.

Honduras had earlier angered the OAS by barring its personnel from entering the country. The ministry justified that decision by saying that talks had been underway to seek an internal solution to the Honduran crisis.

During the UN General Assembly's debate session on Monday, Patricia Rodas, who served as foreign minister in Zelaya's government, took the floor and, holding her mobile phone to the microphone, provided Zelaya with an opportunity to address the international community.

'Honduras is subjected to fascist rule which is suppressing the rights of the people,' Zelaya said from the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa where the has taken refuge. The ousted president called on the UN to help to 'reverse this coup d'etat.'

Rodas asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to send a delegation of UN ambassadors to visit Zelaya at the embassy, said Jorge Arturo Reina, the Zelaya government's representative at the UN. The Honduran UN delegation was also seeking a General Assembly meeting on Honduras in the next few days.

UN General Assembly President Ali Treki said no state should recognize any Honduran government other than that of Zelaya, calling for the restoration of constitutional order and for respect for the Brazilian embassy.

The de-facto government is backing down on curbs on civil liberties following resistance by the Honduran Congress against an executive decree allowing a crackdown on protests.

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said lifting the decree would be a 'positive reaction' and 'the first step' towards restoring constitutional order.

The US State Department expressed strong concern over the cutting of civil liberties in Honduras and called on the de facto government to immediately rescind the decree to that effect.

In Washington, the OAS Permanent Council on Monday urged the de facto government to 'respect' the inviolability of the Brazilian embassy and the 'diplomatic status' of the representatives of Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela and Spain.

Honduras is not allowing the ambassadors to come back unless their countries recognize the de facto government. The diplomats left Honduras in protest at the coup that ousted Zelaya on June 28.

The post-coup government's attempt to suspend constitutional rights is a move in 'the absolute opposite direction' from a path leading to normalization of relations for Honduras, Insulza said.

At the OAS, US authorities described Zelaya's return a week ago to Honduras without an agreement as 'irresponsible.'

Brazil stressed Monday that Zelaya will be able to stay inside the country's embassy compound in Tegucigalpa as long as necessary. Honduras' de facto government on Saturday gave Brazil a 10-day deadline to hand Zelaya over or to grant him asylum.

The ousted president had urged supporters to march to the capital in a 'final offensive' to restore his elected government.

A November 29 presidential election had been set before Zelaya's ouster and is still scheduled, though the international community and Zelaya have both declared it illegitimate.