Honduras Unity Deal Fails

(Newser) – The US-brokered deal to end the political standoff in Honduras has collapsed, says ousted president Manuel Zelaya, although the interim president installed after Zelaya's ouster doesn't agree even on that. "The accord is dead," Zelaya said from the Brazilian Embassy, where he has been holed up since slipping back into the country last month. "There is no sense in deceiving Hondurans." The deal failed because lawmakers couldn't agree on whether to reinstate Zelaya before elections scheduled for later this month, according to a Zelaya aide.

Zelaya said there was supposed to be a vote on a unity government by midnight last night; interim President Roberto Micheletti said a unity government had been created even though Zelaya had not participated."Everybody, with the exception of Mr. Zelaya, recommended Hondurans to lead the institutions of our country as part of the new government," Micheletti said. The US has threatened to not recognize the elections unless Zelaya signs off on the deal. A group supporting Zelaya has said it will boycott the vote if he is not reinstated and warns that failure to do so will lead to further unrest.