Delays in Honduras poses risk for Zelaya

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- A U.S.-negotiated pact to return deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to office may become ineffective due to the Honduran Congress' delay, officials said.

The United States has tried to end Honduras' political crisis in time for the Nov. 29 presidential and congressional elections, but the Honduran Congress is taking its time to consider whether it will allow Zelaya to return to complete his term of office, which is necessary for his viability in the upcoming election, McClatchy News Service reported Thursday.

At a news conference Wednesday in Washington, Eduardo Enrique Reina, the Honduran ambassador to the United States, said the de facto regime of interim President Roberto Micheletti seems to have its own interpretation of the accord and called Congress' refusal to meet "a stalling technique."

"This is being drawn out. They should be able to do this. They're just trying to buy time until the election, seeking to defy the international community. To not reinstate him is not something that's acceptable," Reina said.

Besides the congressional vote, the American agreement provides for establishing a unity government and creating a committee to safeguard that the accord will be followed and the election results respected.

A "no" vote by the Honduran Congress poses grave risks for the country, as tourists have stayed away and foreign commerce has suffered, the news agency said.

The agreement with the U.S. means that the Obama administration will recognize the winner of the election, regardless of whether the Honduran Congress votes to restore Zelaya, the State Department's top Latin America diplomat, Tom Shannon, said.