President Manuel Zelaya

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras's post-coup de facto leader said on Friday he would give up his presidential duties for a week, a step Washington welcomed as a way to help ease a five-month-old political crisis. Roberto Micheletti, who took power after President Manuel Zelaya was sent into exile by soldiers in June, said on Thursday he might step aside between November 25 and December 2 to allow voters to focus on a November 29 presidential election. "It's a temporary absence to give room to the new Honduran president, to the candidates," Micheletti told local television, confirming the plan he outlined a day earlier. He ... Read Full Story

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Honduras' de facto leader should make good on an offer to step aside for a week so voters can focus on November 29 polls and resolve the country's political crisis, the U.S. State Department said Friday. Roberto Micheletti, who seized power after a June military coup toppled President Manuel Zelaya, said in a televised address Thursday he might give up his duties between November 25 and December 2. "We welcome that he is going to take a leave of absence and expect its prompt implementation. This will allow some breathing space for the process in Honduras to go forward," State Department ... Read Full Story

The Honduran de facto regime on Friday ordered citizens to turn in their weapons in a bid to avert violence around disputed presidential elections to be held at the end of the month. Ousted President Manuel Zelaya has called on his supporters to boycott the November 29 national elections after crisis talks failed to restore him to power beforehand -- in order to finish his single term that ends in January. The interim regime led by Roberto Micheletti said it would disarm citizens who risked disrupting the elections in a nation where violent street gangs operate with many weapons left over from decades of ... Read Full Story

Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti said he planned to step down briefly over November 29 elections in an apparent bid to boost their international legitimacy. The de facto leadership hopes the polls will put an end to a deep crisis set off by the June 28 ouster of President Manuel Zelaya, which has isolated the Central American nation. Micheletti said he expected to be absent from public functions from November 25 to December 2, in an address on national media. "With this measure I aim to concentrate all the attention of Honduran people on the electoral process and not on the political crisis," ... Read Full Story

Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti said Thursday that he planned to step down briefly during November 29 elections in an apparent bid to boost its international legitimacy. Micheletti hopes the polls will put an end to a political crisis set off by the June 28 ouster of President Manuel Zelaya, which has isolated the Central American nation. Micheletti said he expected to be absent from public functions from November 25 to December 2, in an address on national media. "With this measure I aim to concentrate all the attention of Honduran people on the electoral process and not on the political crisis," Micheletti ... Read Full Story