Reply #8: Top U.S. Diplomat in Honduras in Bid to Save Accord = Latin American Herald Tribune [View All]

[L. Coyote]

Top U.S. Diplomat in Honduras in Bid to Save Accord
Caracas - November 11,2009 - http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=347133&CategoryId=23558


WASHINGTON – The United States has dispatched a senior diplomat to Honduras ......

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The Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord represents a “pathway to a free and fair election,” Crowley said Tuesday.

“And the outcome, which if handled properly, can be supported both within Honduras and within the region. And obviously, we continue – we’ll continue to kind of push both sides to live up to the agreement that they reached recently, and to continue to move forward towards the election,” the official told reporters.

Asked about Zelaya’s reinstatement, he said: “It’s not about any one person. It’s about a return of democratic processes and democratic government in Honduras. It’s an important aspect to us of continuing to support democracy within the hemisphere.”

“I think it’s important to put these steps and these processes in place so that you can have confidence in the electoral process and the result,” Crowley added. “But obviously, on Nov. 29 when the election takes place, we’ll be able to evaluate what happened and then what the consequences are.”

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Most members of the OAS and the Rio Group, a hemispheric club that excludes the United States and Canada, have indicated they will not recognize the Honduran elections as valid unless Zelaya is reinstated beforehand.

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