Tegucigalpa - Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti said late on Thursday he had agreed to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya in a deal aimed at ending the country's political crisis.
"I am pleased to announce that a few minutes ago my negotiating team signed an agreement that marks the beginning of the end" of the four-month standoff, Micheletti said in a statement from the presidential palace.
Pending approval from Congress, the deal signed by Micheletti would return Zelaya to the presidency.
It would also allow the formation of a coalition government and the holding of the November 29 presidential election on schedule, the interim leader said.
Negotiators for Zelaya and Micheletti had earlier on Thursday returned to the table, as security forces once again used batons and tear gas against hundreds of pro-Zelaya protesters.
The rivals had been told by Thomas Shannon, the US assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs, that they must reach an accord to ensure international support for the elections next month. - AFP