Arias Urges Patience
Before
Saturday Talks On Honduras In Costa Rica
Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, who has
taken the role of chief mediator in the
Honduras political crisis has called for patience
of all parties following the deposed
president gave the de facto government an ultimatum to reinstate him.
"I understand the desire of President Zelaya
to return and reinstate himself as president
of Honduras as soon as possible, but my
experience tells me that one has to be a
little patient," said Arias.
The first stage in the Arias plan to bring
the crisis to a conclusion failed, when both
Honduran presidents, Zelaya and Roberto
Micheletti, failed to meet face to face last
Thursday.
Each president left behind a team of
negotiators which closed the talks on Friday
on a stalemate.
Arias said negotiations will resume Saturday
in Costa Rica to solve the Honduran
political turmoil following the June 28
military coup that toppled and exiled Zelaya.
However, Zelaya, who has won wide
international support, said in Guatemala
City on Tuesday he would only discuss his
immediate reinstatement at the weekend
talks.
"I'll be there at the weekend ... (but) the
only thing that can be negotiated is the
timing and the manner of the exit of the
coup leaders," Zelaya told a news
conference.
The deposed leader, apparently frustrated by
the slow negotiation process, said on Monday
at a press conference in Nicaragua: "We are
giving the coup regime an ultimatum."
He threatens to abandon the mediation
efforts led by Arias and take "other
measures." He didn't mention what the
measures would be.
U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly
said Tuesday people should trust Arias in
his capability to break the political
deadlock in Honduras.
"We think that all parties in the talks
should give this process some time, don't
set any artificial deadlines," he said. "We
have to give the process a chance and
support what President Arias is doing."
He said the United States is calling on "all
parties, particularly President Zelaya and
the de facto regime to work together and
come to a peaceful resolution that restores
the democratic order."
Zelaya angered the army, the legislative and
the judiciary with his insistence on holding
a referendum to clear the way for his
re-election.
Facing mounting regional and international
pressure, Micheletti refused to back down,
saying that Zelaya's removal was a lawful
defense of the constitution, which allows
only one term for the president.
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