Honduran lawmakers put off vote, want court opinion

By Mario Naranjo and Fiona Ortiz

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduran lawmakers on Tuesday put off a vote on whether to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya and asked the Supreme Court for its view, bucking outside pressure to quickly end a four-month political crisis.

Their inaction leaves a de facto government in place and risks losing international support ahead of a November 29 presidential election -- along with hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid to the poor coffee-producing nation.

A board of 13 top lawmakers met and decided not to call a special session of Congress, currently in recess, until they receive nonbinding opinions from the Supreme Court and the attorney general.

No timeline was established for a vote, throwing fresh uncertainty over how quickly a crisis agreement signed last week could break the deadlock over Zelaya's ouster.

"The majority voted to send the matter to the Supreme Court, but there were votes against that idea, from those who want to immediately vote on Zelaya's restitution," congressman Marvin Ponce of the Democratic Unification Party told Reuters.

A U.S.-brokered accord to end the worst political upheaval in Central America in two decades stipulates Congress must decide whether Zelaya, toppled in a June 28 coup, can return to serve out the rest of his term until January.

Zelaya says he must be returned this week to comply with the deal. But the accord set no date for a congressional vote and the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti says the deal could be fulfilled even without Zelaya's reinstatement.

At stake for Honduras, a poor country that produces coffee and exports clothes to its main trading partner the United States, are hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid that were cut off after the coup.

Lawmakers "are trying to impose a light interpretation of the accord. They are hoping that some countries will decide to recognize the results of the election even if they don't return Zelaya," said Alvaro Calix, a Honduran social researcher.

Outside the legislature, police in riot gear stood by as supporters of Zelaya, known as "Mel," chanted, "Hang in there Mel, the people are with you."

INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

Chilean ex-President Ricardo Lagos and U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis were in Tegucigalpa on Tuesday to lead a commission of the Organization of American States, or OAS, to oversee fulfillment of the accords.

Washington praised the deal as a major breakthrough even as it remained unclear if it would lead to Zelaya's return. OAS head Jose Miguel Insulza said on Tuesday that, despite vague timing in the accord, its spirit is to reinstate the leftist.

Some experts said Congress could stall for some time by arguing it is waiting for a Supreme Court view, even though the accord itself asked the court to issue a nonbinding ruling.

"The accord is not at all favorable for Zelaya. It does not assure his restitution and it sets no date," said Luis Cosenza, presidency minister for former President Ricardo Maduro.