Honduras nixes plan to reinstate ousted leader

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — A negotiator for ousted President Manuel Zelaya says his side has accepted in principle the points proposed by a mediator to end the Honduras coup crisis.

But negotiator Enrique Flores says the interim government of Roberto Micheletti has rejected the central point of allowing Zelaya to be reinstated, leaving the talks stalemated.

Flores says "in principle we accept all the points, to later discuss them in detail."

But he says the Honduran de facto leaders have shown no willingness to accept Zelaya's return, adding that if there is no progress "we will declare the talks a failure."

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias on Saturday proposed to resolve the conflict by reinstating ousted President Manuel Zelaya as head of a national unity government, holding early elections and issuing general amnesty.

Arias made the proposals Saturday as he tried to mediate a solution before greater violence can erupt in the nearby nation. Many of the proposals have been rejected by one side or the other.

Last week, Micheletti, who was named president of Honduras by Congress after Zelaya was deposed, said he would be willing to resign if it would bring peace to the country. But he said he would not accept the return of Zelaya as president.

The de facto government in Tegucigalpa says Zelaya will face criminal charges if he tries to return. He faces an array of institutions that lined up against what his opponents argue was his attempt to rewrite the constitution to allow him to run for re-election. Along with Congress and the military, the Supreme Court has ruled his actions were illegal.

But the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the Obama administration have said that Zelaya remains the legal president of Honduras. Arias said that any agreement would have to include Zelaya's return, even if his powers were limited.

Since the coup, much of the country has been paralyzed by competing protests by Zelaya's supporters and opponents.

Material from The New York Times was included in this report.