Honduran president gives ultimatum to coup leader

Tuesday, 14 July 2009 07:15 Xinhua
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Honduras, July 14 (Xinhua) The ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Monday gave a one-week ultimatum to the coup government of Roberto Micheletti to restore his presidential power as demanded by the governments and organizations from the world.
"We give an ultimatum for no later than the next meeting to be held this week in San Jose, Costa Rica, to fulfill the demands expressed by international organizations, otherwise the negotiation will be considered failed and we will take other measures," Zelaya read a communique in Managua.
Zelaya, who was forced into exile after a military coup, also demanded Micheletti to restore constitutional order in Honduras.
Zelaya demanded Micheletti to guarantee his immediate and safe return to Honduras and denounced "the increased systematic repression Micheletti has launched against the brave and heroic Honduran people, who have suffered illegal suspension of the constitutional guarantee, persecutions and violence."
The talks between Zelaya and Micheletti over the post-coup political crisis ended last week without reaching an agreement, but promised more meetings. Zelaya has won support from most American countries.
"We consider it offensive ... for the coup regime to extend the mediation process, which must be finished with the immediate fulfillment of the recommendations given by the Organization of American states and the United Nations," he said.
Zelaya also said that during the mediation process in Costa Rica, his representatives suffered repression, telephone blocking, capture orders, death threats, persecution to their families, interventions and cancellation of their bank accounts.
Due to this reality, the constitutional government of the Republic of Honduras "makes a strong and formal denounce that the only aim of the coup dictatorship is to use the good will mediation of President Oscar Arias as a distracter mechanism to extend the agony of this dictatorship," the communique read.

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