Reinstate President within 72 hours or face suspension,OAS tells Honduras

Diplomats said they had rarely seen the OAS unite so solidly behind a common cause,and that it was the first time the group had invoked its so-called Democratic Charter since it was adopted in 2001 as a clean break with the region’s history of authoritarian rule.

The charter calls on the organisation to take emergency diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring a legitimately elected government and provides for a nation to be suspended if those efforts fail.

The expressions of unity outside the meeting rooms,however,masked disagreements playing out behind closed doors. There was disagreement over whether Zelaya should go ahead with his plans to travel to Honduras on Thursday,despite threats by the interim Government to order him arrested if he set foot in the country. Those plans were postponed early on Wednesday,when Zelaya agreed to wait at least three days before heading back to Honduras.

There was also discussion over how to proceed with suspension if diplomatic efforts failed – with some countries wanting an immediate suspension and others wanting to convene another meeting first. And there were calls by Venezuela and Nicaragua for the US to impose tough economic sanctions.

Zelaya arrived late on Tuesday to address the organisation to solidify support for his return to Honduras. Earlier Tuesday,Zelaya addressed the UN General Assembly,which swiftly passed a resolution denouncing the military coup and demanding his immediate return to office.

As international condemnation builds,Roberto Micheletti,the interim leader of Honduras appointed by the Congress,has grown more defiant. Zelaya “has already committed crimes against the Constitution and the law,” Micheletti said in an interview on Tuesday.