Representatives of the ousted and interim governments of Honduras are
scheduled to hold talks Saturday in an attempt to resolve their
political crisis peacefully.
But both sides have shown little
willingness to compromise. Toppled President Manuel Zelaya said Friday
he plans to return to his country and his post with or without an
agreement from the U.S.-backed talks being held in Costa Rica.
Mr.
Zelaya set midnight Saturday as the deadline for negotiators to reach a
solution that would restore him to power. He said any other result
would be a failure, and he indicated he would not accept mediators'
proposal for a power-sharing agreement.
The ousted leader did
not say when or how he would return to Honduras. The interim
government has threatened to arrest him if he does.
Mr. Zelaya
was toppled June 28 by the military and opponents who say he was trying
to illegally change the constitution to extend his time in office.
Both Mr. Zelaya and interim president Roberto Micheletti claim to be the legitimate leader of Honduras.
Earlier
this week, the ousted leader said Hondurans "have the right to
insurrection" in order to force the caretaker government to return him
to power.
An attempt by Mr. Zelaya to land in Honduras earlier
this month was blocked by the military and led to clashes that left at
least one person dead.
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, a
Nobel Peace Prize winner, is hosting the talks with the rival sides of
the political standoff. On Friday, he said he believed both sides were
softening their positions.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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