Honduras high court rules Zelaya cannot return to power

Brian Jackson

The Honduran Supreme Court [Spanish]
on Wednesday ruled that
ousted former president Manuel Zelaya
cannot legally return to office.

The court's decision is a significant
blow to Zelaya's prospects for
regaining power.

Under the so-called Tegucigalpa/
San Jose accord, Zelaya would
have been able to return to
the office of president assuming
Supreme Court approval and
an affirmative vote by
the Honduran legislature.

The legislature's vote, originally
scheduled for November 29th,
has been moved back to
December 2nd.

It is not clear what effect
the Court's non-binding opinion
will have on that vote.

Similarly, it is not clear how
the decision will effect the results of
the Honduran presidential election,
scheduled for November 29th.

Neither Zelaya nor current president
Roberto Micheletti are on
the ballot for that election.

The Honduran Supreme
Court's opinion and the impending
presidential election may signal
an end to the five month-old saga
that has drawn international
attention to the small country.

That saga began with a
military coup when the Supreme
Court ordered Zelaya to be
removed from power in June.

In September, Zelaya returned
to Honduras after a three-month
period of exile, seeking refuge
in the Brazilian embassy
in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.

In late October, the possibility of
his return to power was announced
by the interim government,
with the condition of judicial
and legislative approval.

Link here
--
J-L K
Sent from Kigali, Rwanda