Honduran president told to stand down

Australian News.Net
Thursday 2nd July, 2009

An ultimatum to the new Honduran president to reinstate ousted leader Manuel Zelaya to the presidency has been rejected.

The ongoing political crisis has sparked the ultimatum from American governments and the United Nations, which have refused to acknowledge the government that took control from Mr. Zelaya.

Interim President Roberto Micheletti is facing foreign pressure to allow the return of President Manuel Zelaya, who was forced to leave the country on Sunday after being accused of criminal activity.

The United States and other governments have given the interim presidency 72 hours to reinstate Mr. Zelaya under threat of Honduras being banned from a regional grouping of Latin American countries.

In the capital Tegucigalpa, Mr. Micheletti said his government would not bow to outside pressure and said he remained confident that Honduras would not be isolated for long, because other countries would begin to understand how the new government had saved the country.

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