Talks to resolve political crisis in Honduras collapse

Tegucigalpa, Honduras - Talks aimed at resolving the political standoff between interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti and ousted president Manuel Zelaya have broken down, representatives of the two sides said. Vilma Morales, a negotiator for Micheletti's camp, said Friday that the discussions collapsed because of the 'intransigence and intolerance' of Zelaya's side. Zelaya, who was deposed in a June 28 coup and thrown out of the country, has been demanding to be reinstated. A senior official at the Organization of American States said, however, that he saw no way out of the political crisis in the Central American country other than negotiations. John Bihel said he believed the talks would resume again in the near future, describing the halt only as a 'pause' in the negotiations. Bihel, the political adviser to OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza called for flexibility from the two sides involved in the dispute. Zelaya has been negotiating from the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa, where he has stayed since he managed to slip back into the country on September 21. The international community sees Zelaya as the only legitimate president of the country and has demanded his reinstatement. Micheletti, however, made it clear that Zelaya's return to office was out of the question. He accused Zelaya of violating the constitution, treason and abuse of office and wants him to stand trial. Before his ouster, Zelaya had tried to change the constitution so he would have the opportunity to remain in office. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has proposed the formation of a government of national reconciliation including all parties and would see elections held in November as planned. But the problem of who should lead the country in the interim period has not been resolved.