Zelaya rejects government of national unity in Honduras

Nov 6, 2009, 15:22 GMT

   Tegucigalpa, Honduras - Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said Friday that he regards the deal to end the political crisis in Honduras as having failed.

The deal - brokered by the United States and by the Organization of American States (OAS) and which was signed last week - called for the creation of a government of national unity and reconciliation by Thursday, and gave the Honduran Congress the final say on whether Zelaya was to be reinstated or not.

Zelaya - who was ousted by a coup on June 28 - interpreted that he would himself lead the new government, and that Congress should therefore reinstate him by Thursday.

Since that did not happen, Zelaya's side issued a statement Friday which said he considered the deal as having 'failed.' In comments to Honduran media, the ousted president himself blamed de facto Honduran leader Roberto Micheletti for that failure.

For Zelaya, it makes no sense 'to keep misleading the Honduran people.'

Congress had as yet not voted on whether Zelaya should be reinstated.

Jorge Arturo Reina - Zelaya's representative in Honduras' Truth- finding Commission - stressed that they would also not recognize the results of the general elections that are scheduled for November 29.

Micheletti's de-facto government resigned late Thursday, paving the way for a government of national unity and reconciliation, but said it was to form the new government without Zelaya's participation.

   The move was announced in a televised statement by the government following an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers, which said all ministers have resigned from their positions in compliance with an agreement brokered last week.

   De-facto leader Micheletti said he was to form a unity government without Zelaya, who had declined to name any members for the cabinet and insists he is to lead the unity government. Micheletti said he would lead the new government until Congress decides on Zelaya's possible reinstatement.

   Zelaya was ousted from office and sent into exile on June 28 in a military coup backed by the Honduran Supreme Court and other institutions. He secretly returned to Tegucigalpa on September 21, and has since been holed up in the Brazilian embassy in the Honduran capital.

Micheletti's de-facto government has accused Zelaya of having violated the constitution.

The international community has refused to acknowledge the de- facto government as legitimate and has demanded Zelaya's reinstatement.

The international community has also refused to recognize the upcoming election as legitimate in the current post- coup setting.