Honduras interim government repeals decree suspending constitutional rights

The head of the Honduran interim government Roberto Micheletti on Monday convened his council of ministers to repeal the executive decree issued last week that suspended several constitutional rights. The repeal was scheduled to become official when published on Tuesday in the official newspaper, but ousted president Manuel Zelaya warned on Tuesday that this had not yet taken place. Micheletti had said last week that he would lift the restrictions by the end of last week. After the decree, two media outlets were closed by the Honduran government under allegations that they were violating the terms of the decree.

Micheletti said that those media outlets would have to turn to the courts for relief. Also on Monday, the Honduran Court of First Instance of Judicial Review derogated the executive decree issued by Zelaya in March that led to his subsequent ouster in June. The decree had authorized a poll to ask voters if they would be receptive to a vote on establishing a new constitution. A delegation from the Organization of American States (OAS) is due to arrive in Honduras on Wednesday to aid in the Guaymuras Dialogue, the current negotiations between Micheletti and Zelaya.

Zelaya has taken refuge at the Brazilian Embassy since returning to Honduras last month, despite calls from Micheletti to hand him over under an arrest warrant issued by the Honduran Supreme Court in June. Zelaya was ousted on June 28 following a judicial order asserting that he had broken Honduran law by attempting to conduct a controversial referendum on constitutional reform contrary to a Honduran Supreme Court ruling.

(Published by Jurist - October 7, 2009)