Tegucigalpa: A top regional diplomatic official has said that negotiators for Honduras` interim and ousted leaders have signed an agreement that allows for the possible return of deposed President Manuel Zelaya.
Organization of American States Secretary of Political Affairs Victor Rico called the pact "a beneficial accord for Honduras and Honduran democracy."
Rico has not released a text of the agreement, but says it leaves an opening for Zelaya`s reinstatement.
Interim President Roberto Micheletti says the accord will leave Zelaya`s fate in the hands of the Supreme Court and Congress.
Zelaya said Thursday that he is "optimistic I will be restored to the presidency."
The agreement would create a power-sharing government.
Earlier, interim President Roberto Micheletti ordered his negotiators to sign an agreement that could lead to the reinstatement of Zelaya.
Micheletti said that the agreement would bind both sides to recognise the November 29 presidential elections.
Zelaya`s team is not saying whether it intends to sign the agreement, which Micheletti called a "significant concession" on his part.
But the accord announced on Thursday appears to contain the same stumbling blocks that have stymied previous talks: The Supreme Court has already rejected Zelaya`s return.
Bureau Report
