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Honduras' exiled president and his opponents reach accord
12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, October 31, 2009

The Washington Post, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON � Four months after he was ousted by the military, former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya reached an agreement with his opponents that could restore him to office and end a political crisis that has roiled the hemisphere, officials said Friday.


ESTEBAN FELIX/The Associated Press
Manuel Zelaya said Friday that his return as president would bring peace to Honduras.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, traveling in Pakistan, hailed the accord as a big step forward for the region after months of political paralysis. She sent a diplomatic team to Honduras this week that played a critical role in brokering the accord, according to diplomats.

The U.S. had warned that Honduras' presidential elections, scheduled for Nov. 29, would not be recognized if held under the interim government.

The secretary-general of the Organization of American States, Jos� Miguel Insulza, said Friday that he was confident the accord would lead to Zelaya's return to the presidency within days and to the formation of a power-sharing government.

However, the agreement still must win the approval of the Honduran Congress, which stripped Zelaya of the presidency after his June 28 ouster and named Roberto Micheletti his successor.

One Republican congressional aide said it was too soon to know whether Zelaya would take office again as president. "The breakthrough is both sides committed to accept whatever is decided by the legislative branch," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Zelaya, however, told Radio Globo in Honduras that the accord "signifies my return to power in the coming days, and peace for Honduras."

Honduran soldiers detained Zelaya on June 28 and flew him to exile in Costa Rica. The military was acting on a secret order issued by the Honduran Supreme Court for Zelaya's arrest on charges that included abuse of power.

Zelaya had alienated politicians, businessmen and the church by seeking to hold a vote on changing the constitution. Many Hondurans saw the move as a bid to end a constitutional term limit and extend his presidency beyond a single four-year term. Zelaya denied any such intention.

The Washington Post,

The Associated Press