Honduran interim gov't to resume crisis talk in Costa Rica

TEGUCIGALPA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The interim government in Honduras said its delegation will fly to Costa Rica later on Wednesday for a new round of mediation talk.

The de facto government's Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez said in a press conference that the delegation he leads is going back to San Jose after a deadline of 72 hours set by the crisis mediator, Costa Rican president Oscar Arias.

However, Lopez discarded the ousted President Manuel Zelaya's return to his charge to be an issue for discussion.

"My government continues in the mediation which respects the powers of the Honduran State," and "this hypothesis of a possible the regress of Mr. Zelaya to occupy the presidency is totally denied," Lopez said.

Lopez made such statement in a press conference after his meeting with post-coup leader Robert Micheletti at the Presidential House.

Earlier he told reporters the mediation talk would be postponed and Honduran interim government "is waiting for a new proposal" from the mediator Arias.

The Costa Rican presidency said in a communique on Wednesday that the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Arias has prepared a "Declaration of San Jose" for both camps in conflict and vows to continue his mediating effort.

Arias' previous proposals including the reinstatement of the ousted president Manuel Zelaya, a unity government, earlier elections and general amnesty were declared "unacceptable" by the interim government led by ex congress leader Roberto Micheletti.

In the second talk round concluded on Sunday, no agreement was reached between both delegations and the main difference remains Zelaya's return to power.

The deposed Honduran president for his part had called his supporters for an insurrection and reiterated in various occasions that he would return to his country despite all cost.

His delegation spokeswoman, Rixi Moncada, said right after the failed talk round that Zelaya would not again come back to the negotiation table with Micheletti's "usurper" government, but "new representatives."

Arias, lamenting the risk of a civil war Honduras is facing, said he would spend 72 hours trying to convince the coup leaders to accept his seven proposals, a term to expire within next few hours.

His effort was primordially frustrated 24 hours later as the Honduran de facto government restated on Monday that Zelaya's return would not be an issue for discussion.

Facing increasing pressure from supporters of the ousted Honduran president, to the moment Micheletti's government has held on to its tough posture insisting its legal status.

On June 28 Zelaya was expulsed and deposed by militaries under Honduras' Supreme Court order, which has been condemned worldwide as a coup d'etat.