Honduras president postpones return home after OAS ultimatum

Honduras's police and soldiers patrol along a street in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, July 1, 2009. Honduras' President Zelaya said he will postpone his return to Honduras 72 hours to the weekend, instead of Thursday, as originally planned. (Xinhua/David De La Paz)

Supporter of Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya distributes slogans to a police during a rally in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, July 1, 2009. Honduras' President Zelaya said he will postpone his return to Honduras 72 hours to the weekend, instead of Thursday, as originally planned. (Xinhua/David De La Paz)

Supporters of Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya stage a rally in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, July 1, 2009. Honduras' President Zelaya said he would postpone his return to Honduras 72 hours to the weekend, instead of Thursday, as originally planned. (Xinhua/David De La Paz)

WASHINGTON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said here on Wednesday that he would postpone his plan to return home after the Organization of American States (OAS) gave the country an ultimatum to restore him to power.

"We will wait 72 hours in order to continue with this process," Zelaya said in an interview with the CNN after the OAS gave Honduras 72 hours to restore Zelaya's presidency or would face suspension from the organization. Zelaya said on Tuesday that he would return to Honduras on Thursday.

Honduran Attorney-General Luis Alberto Rubi said Zelaya would be arrested "as soon as he sets foot on Honduran soil" and he could face 20 years in prison.

Hundreds of soldiers stormed the presidential residence in Honduras' capital Tegucigalpa on Sunday. Zelaya was put on a plane and sent into exile in Costa Rica.

Honduras' congress named speaker Roberto Micheletti as the interim president. He has imposed a curfew.