Q+A: Honduras president ousted in military coup

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - In Central America's first military coup since the Cold War, the Honduran army ousted leftist President Manuel Zelaya on Sunday over his bid to make it legal to seek another term in office.

Here are some questions and answers on the situation in Honduras, an impoverished and crime-wracked nation and long-time ally of the United States.

WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY?

On an order from the Supreme Court, which opposed Zelaya's quest to try and change the constitution and allow presidential re-election, the military seized Zelaya at his home at dawn on Sunday and flew him to nearby Costa Rica

The coup followed days of tension over Zelaya's attempt, opposed by the army, the courts and Congress, to hold an unofficial poll on Sunday to gauge public support for holding a November referendum on letting presidents seek re-election.

WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTRY?

Honduran deputies named Congress head Roberto Micheletti as temporary president and the army is likely to return to barracks. The country's electoral court said a November 29 president election would go ahead as planned.

However, many foreign governments, from the United States to Venezuela, said they still recognize only Zelaya as the legal president of Honduras.

WHAT WILL FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS DO?

The United States and the European Union, as well as a string of other governments, have expressed deep concern. Washington has urged calm and says it recognizes Zelaya as president. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for Zelaya's reinstatement.

The head of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza, strongly condemned the coup and backed Zelaya. The OAS was holding an urgent meeting to discuss the situation.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is due to hold emergency talks with fellow Latin American leftist leaders in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua.

Chavez, who has backed Zelaya's bid to change the constitution, says he has put his troops on alert and threatened military action if his envoy was killed or his embassy in Honduras attacked. He says he will do everything necessary to abort the coup.

Chavez, long at odds with the United States, also said there should be an investigation into whether there was a U.S. role in the coup. The United States -- which has 550-600 troops stationed at a Honduran base carrying out humanitarian, anti-drug and disaster relief operations -- has denied it was involved in the ouster.

HOW SERIOUS IS THIS CRISIS FOR REGIONAL STABILITY?

The most serious immediate risk is that Chavez, who has championed a new wave of socialism across Latin America, takes military action. However, he has a history of making military threats and not following up on them.