Honduran de-facto leaders resign to form unity cabinet (2nd Roundup)

Tegucigalpa, Honduras - The Honduran de-facto government of Roberto Micheletti resigned late Thursday, paving the way for a government of national unity and reconciliation, but said it was to form the new government without the participation of the ousted president. The move was announced in a televised statement by the government following an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers, which said all ministers have resigned from their positions in compliance with an agreement brokered last week. De-facto leader Micheletti said he was to form a unity government without the participation of toppled President Manuel Zelaya, who has declined to name any members for the cabinet and insists he is to lead the unity government. After weeks of negotiations brokered by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, the Micheletti and Zelaya camps agreed on forming a unity government by Thursday, but then disagreed on who was to lead the new cabinet. Zelaya was ousted from office and sent into exile on June 28 in a military coup backed by the Honduran Supreme Court and other institutions. Micheletti's de-facto government has accused Zelaya of violating the constitution. The international community has refused to acknowledge the de-facto government as legitimate and has demanded Zelaya's reinstatement. Honduras is set to hold a general election on November 29, which the international community has refused to recognize as legitimate in the current post-coup setting. Zelaya secretly returned to Tegucigalpa on September 21, and has since been holed up in the Brazilian embassy in the Honduran capital. He insists on being returned to office before the formation of the unity government. The Arias-brokered compromise deal foresees Zelaya leading the unity government until a new president takes office following the elections. However, the Micheletti camp argued a unity government should be formed irrespective of Zelaya's reinstatement, on which the Honduran Congress is to decide, leading to a stalemate hampering the implementation of the deal. The deal also foresees setting up a truth commission to investigate the events leading up to and following Zelaya's ouster.