Responses to the Coup d'etat in Honduras on Sunday June 28, with special emphasis on producing English-language versions of commentaries by Honduran scholars and editorial writers and addressing the confusion encouraged by lack of basic knowledge about Honduras.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Micheletti rejects consensus settlement

Radio Globo reports the consultation by the negotiating teams with their respective President appears to be over. The negotiating teams will be meeting together at the Hotel Clarion in the next few minutes.

Zelaya, in a phone conversation with reporters of Radio Globo said the gordian knot, at this point, is the mechanics of his restitution.

Micheletti , in a press conference at the Presidential palace, is saying that the only thing being discussed is Zelaya's restitution after the elections in November.

Update: El Tiempo has more details on what Micheletti said in his press conference. He said there was no accord for the restitution of Zelaya because only the Supreme Court and Congress can decide if Zelaya returns to power. "There is no agreement to return the President elected in November, 2005."

"The 29th of November, no one, absolutely no human being, will be able to stop the elections in this country. They will be free and transparent. Here the anger, we won't permit it, nothing from nobody."

And La Tribuna reports that the Micheletti delegation put out a press release stating that they would take up the subject of restitution tomorrow. Micheletti said that the Zelaya team is asking that Congress be allowed to determine if Zelaya returns to power, but its clearly the function of the Supreme Court to make that determination. Micheletti denied that there had been any agreement so far, and that he met with his delegation only to hear a progress report.

Minutes after meeting with Micheletti, Vilma Morales said "we haven't reached a consensus on this point (resitution of Zelaya) but several interesting possibilities are on the table and we are working on them."

In other words, Micheletti has rejected the consensus reached by the two negotiating teams.

7 comments:

Nell said...

Seems the coup team has a bit of a Micheletti problem.

Nell said...

I have an idea. Micheletti goes to spend a few quiet days in Intibucá or somewhere else in-country but remote. The Congress meets, is offered his resignation letter, and votes in a new president, who signs the agreement. Voila, everything is done with all the constitutionality to which the regime has been accustomed.

Doug Zylstra said...

Rns -

Any opinion on Victor Meza as Terceria. I've seen his name twice this morning (Tribuna and WSJ). I think he's a obviously a much better option than Savaadra, if it comes to a Terceria, but would that also disqualify him for his own run? If so, that would be disappointing.

Doug Zylstra said...

Nell -

I tend to agree with the idea that Congress does have the power to reinstate. The original decree (141-2009) that Congress put out, is the one that coup supporters refer to as legitimate. They could just as easily reverse the decree, or simply, emit a new one.

It would all be within the framework of Alice in Wonderland Constitutionality.

The Supreme Court would still have the responsibility of determining what to do with the pending charges, but I don't see how the SC is at all responsible for the decision to reinstate or not. They could though come out and state the original destitution by Congress was inconstitional though, and reverse it. That doesn't seem as likely as the Congressional scenario..

RNS said...

Doug,

I don't know much about Victor Meza; I don't know whether he has those kinds of political aspirations, is a diputado, etc. Taking the position would invalidate him from ever holding the position again. In fact, during the whole argument about whether Elvin Santos could run for President, because he had temporarily held executive power while Zelaya was out of the country was used as an argument (unsuccessful) for why he could not run for President.

RAJ and I have talked about Edmundo Orellana as a possible third party leader, and others have mentioned him as well. Again, I don't know his aspirations with regard to the Presidency, but by resigning his Ministry position (Defense Minister) over his disagreement with Zelaya over the cuarta urna, he gained credibility among a portion of the coup supporters. He is a member of Congress. We think he's a likely third-party option if things go that way. Saavedra is badly compromised and a Micheletti supporter.

RNS said...

Radio Globo reports that Carlos Lopez Contreras is being proposed by Micheletti as a third party possibility. Lopen Contreras is a conservative Nacionalista from the farthest right part of the party.

Doug Zylstra said...

Rns -

If they've given up on reinstating Zelaya, even finding an acceptable Terceria may be a challenge..