Deal reached in Honduras

Up until now the Micheletti govt. has refused to allow Zelaya to return under any conditions. Pressure from the US and no doubt also from internal actors such as the RC Church hierarchy, the military, and business people no doubt helped change his mind. Isolation of Honduras has been disastrous for the economy and there have been continuous protests and strikes ever since the coup began. The deal must still be ratified by congress but the congress probably has enough realists to reconsider their original line that everything was done on the up and up and go along with the deal instead. I was surprised that a deal was not reached earlier as Zelaya gets very little really since he will be a lame duck president with no power for just a few months. Control will return to the same elites that ran Honduras before. However, the opposition at the grass roots level will continue. This is from the NY Times. If this deal stands it will be a victory for Obama's administration.

""Deal Reached in Honduras to Restore Ousted President
MEXICO CITY - A lingering political crisis in Honduras seemed to be nearing an end on Friday after the de facto government agreed to a deal, pending legislative approval, that would allow Manuel ZelayaManuel Zelaya, the deposed president, to return to office.

The government of Roberto Micheletti, which had refused to let Mr. Zelaya return, signed an agreement with Mr. Zelaya's negotiators late Thursday that would pave the way for the Honduran Congress to restore the ousted president and allow him to serve out the remaining three months of his term. If Congress agrees, control of the army would shift to the electoral court, and the presidential election set for Nov. 29 would be recognized by both sides.

On Friday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham Clinton called the deal "an historic agreement."

"I cannot think of another example of a country in Latin America that, having suffered a rupture of its democratic and constitutional order, overcame such a crisis through negotiation and dialogue," Mrs. Clinton said in Islamabad, where she has been meeting with Pakistani officials.

The accord came after a team of senior American diplomats flew from Washington to the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, on Wednesday to press for an agreement. On Thursday, the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, Thomas A. Shannon Jr., warned that time was running out for an agreement.

......According to Mr. Micheletti, the accord reached late Thursday would establish a unity government and a verification commission to ensure that its conditions are carried out. It would also create a truth commission to investigate the events of the past few months.

The agreement also reportedly asks the international community to recognize the results of the elections and to lift any sanctions that were imposed after the coup. The suspension of international aid has stalled badly needed projects in one of the region's poorest countries.

'...........................""