MEXICO, November 26 (RIA Novosti) - Unidentified gunmen have fired grenades from portable launchers at the buildings of the Supreme Court and the Canal 10 television in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, local police said.
No casualties have been reported and the buildings were only slightly damaged in the attack.
According to police spokesman Orlin Cerrato, the attack was planned to intimidate Honduran citizens on the eve of the presidential elections scheduled for November 29.
"The shelling of public buildings will not scare the people and will not hamper the presidential polls. We will take all necessary security measures to ensure the free expression of the will of the electorate," Cerrato said in an interview with the HRN radio on Wednesday.
The upcoming elections were announced by Roberto Micheletti's interim government following a protracted political crisis in the country, which was caused by the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya in June.
President Zelaya was bundled out of Honduras on June 28 by the military, acting on instructions from the Supreme Court and parliament, over efforts to seek an unconstitutional second presidential term.
Zelaya was flown to Costa Rica, and his place was taken by Micheletti, the parliamentary speaker.
The ousted president secretly returned to the country on September 21 and took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy.
Talks to end the crisis have so far failed even though the sides signed a U.S.-brokered accord, and began to form a national unity and reconciliation government. Zelaya and his supporters later quit the agreement and were not present when Micheletti formed the reconciliation government, saying that their main demand - to reinstate Zelaya ahead of national elections - was not met.
According to police, over 30 attacks with explosive devices have targeted institutions and media outlets from both sides of the conflict since the June coup despite the interim government has ordered citizens to turn in their weapons.
Zelaya supporters have openly vowed to disrupt the elections because the leading candidates, Porfirio Lobo and Elvin Santos, belong to the two main parties that voted overwhelmingly in Congress to support Zelaya's ouster.
Meanwhile, interim leader Micheletti announced on Wednesday he was temporarily stepping down to "guarantee free, spontaneous and transparent" elections on Sunday. The Council of Ministers will rule the country until December 2.
Many countries and international bodies have warned they would not recognize election results if the Honduran polls are held under the Micheletti presidency. However, the U.S. and Panama said last week they would recognize the election results.
