TEGUCIGALPA, (Reuters) – The front-runner in  Honduras’ presidential race has become a key to resolving a  four-month conflict between a president ousted in a coup and  the de facto leader who replaced him.

Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo leads polls ahead of the Nov. 29  election and his National Party is the biggest opposition force  in Congress, which must decide whether ousted President Manuel  Zelaya can return to serve his last months in office.

With hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid and  international recognition of the election contingent on  Zelaya’s return, the National Party is under pressure to  support him, though its leaders say they are still studying  options.

Zelaya, toppled in a June 28 coup, and the de facto leader  Roberto Micheletti who replaced him, were pushed by US  diplomats to sign a deal last week to put an end to Central  America’s worst political turmoil in two decades.

Under the deal, the unicameral Congress is expected to come  out of recess to vote on whether Zelaya’s proposed return would  be constitutional. The Supreme Court will first issue a  non-binding opinion and no date has been set for the vote in  Congress.