The Honduran congress has closed the door on any reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya, the president ousted in a coup in June.
State television said 64 of the 126 members of congress voted on Wednesday against allowing Zelaya to serve out his term which ends in January.
The latest twist in the five-month crisis came as Porfirio Lobo, a conservative politician, celebrated his victory in Sunday's controversial presidential election, which was condemned by Zelaya.
Zelaya was forced into exile on June 28 after critics, including the Supreme Court, congress and business leaders, said he acted against the constitution and tried to illegally extend limits to his term in office.
He has repeatedly denied this and pointed out that it would have been impossible to change the constitution before his term in office was complete.
Divisions in the Central American nation remain wide after the weekend election held by the de facto government that had removed Zelaya. Zelaya's supporters had boycotted the vote.
Lobo, who was defeated by Zelaya in the 2005 election, has pledged to form a unity government and seek dialogue.
He is due to take office on January 27, when Zelaya's term officially ends.
The de facto government hailed the elections as a broad success, but Zelaya's camp called for them to be cancelled and accused election officials of inflating participation figures.
The United States and the European Union said they saw the polls as an important first step forward.
But other nations in Latin America, including regional power Brazil, said they served to whitewash the coup.