A senior US diplomat says he feels optimistic over efforts to revive a power-sharing pact aimed at ending the political crisis in Honduras before the presidential election later this month.
Craig Kelly, the deputy assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, said the US was "advancing the dialogue", even as he left the Central American country without any deal.
"We think it's important to continue the conversations," he said shortly before leaving Tegucigalpa on Wednesday.
"There is still a lot of work to be done along the way ... but I believe it is important for both sides to keep talking."
Kelly held separate talks with Manuel Zelaya, the ousted Honduran president, and Roberto Micheletti, the interim leader, over the power-sharing deal but gave no details.
Unity pact
Zelaya and Micheletti are at odds over the implementation of a US-brokered pact for resolving the impasse by installing a unity government.
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| Kelly also met Manuel Zelaya, right, about resolving the crisis before elections [AFP] |
Last week Zelaya declared the accord a failure when Micheletti announced the creation of the national unity government even though Zelaya had not proposed any candidates.
Zelaya, who was ousted in a June 28 coup, has urged the international community "not to recognise the electoral process under any circumstances and to suspend all technical and financial support".
The pact, brokered by Kelly and other US diplomats more than a week ago, called on the Honduran Congress to decide whether to restore Zelaya to the presidency.
Congressional leaders are waiting for an opinion from prosecutors and the Supreme Court, and have suggested there may be no decision before the election.