Honduran lawmakers put off vote on Zelaya's return

By Mario Naranjo and Fiona Ortiz

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduran lawmakers on Tuesday put off a vote on whether to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya and asked the Supreme Court for its view, bucking outside pressure to quickly end a four-month political crisis.

Their inaction leaves the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti in place and risks losing international support for a Nov. 29 presidential election, along with hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid to the poor coffee- and textile-producing nation.

A board of 13 top lawmakers met and decided not to call a special session of Congress, currently in recess, until they receive non-binding opinions from the Supreme Court and the attorney general.

No timeline was established for a vote, throwing fresh uncertainty over the implementation of a U.S.-brokered deal signed last week to end the worst political upheaval in two decades in Central America.

"The majority voted to send the matter to the Supreme Court, but there were votes against that idea, from those who want to immediately vote on Zelaya's restitution," congressman Marvin Ponce of the Democratic Unification Party told Reuters.

The deal signed by negotiators for Zelaya and Micheletti says Congress must decide whether Zelaya, toppled in a June 28 coup, can return to serve out the rest of his term until January, but it sets no date for the legislature to vote.

Zelaya says he must be returned this week to comply with the deal. But the de facto government says the agreement could be fulfilled even without Zelaya's reinstatement.

Outside the legislature, police in riot gear stood by as supporters of Zelaya, known as "Mel," chanted, "Hang in there Mel, the people are rising up."