TEGUCIGALPA - Hopes rose Thursday for dialogue between deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the regime which ousted him, as pressure grew to lift tough new restrictions on civil rights.

Small groups of protesters faced off Thursday with a large contingent of security forces at a media outlet closed in the latest clampdown, as visiting lawmakers from Brazil assessed the situation at their embassy, where Zelaya has been holed up since his surprise return on September 21.

Zelaya was ousted by the military on June 28 after riling the country's political and business leaders by calling for a referendum to change the constitution, which many saw as a bid to scrap term limits.

A top envoy from the Organization of American States (OAS) said he would meet with de facto president Roberto Micheletti Thursday, after a "very positive" meeting with ousted president Zelaya inside the Brazilian embassy.

"We're seeing a desire for serious dialogue, (and) to solve the problem, on both sides," Biehl told local media Thursday.

Prospects for a face-to-face meeting between the two presidents appeared unlikely, but both sides had prepared lists of representatives to take part in possible talks, diplomats said.

A visit next week by a high-level OAS mission including chief Jose Miguel Insulza and regional foreign ministers was expected to boost mediation efforts, although many in Honduras underlined they were seeking an internal solution to the crisis.

A group of OAS officials who were recently expelled were due to return to the country Friday after a new invitation from the wavering regime.

In an attempt to return to normality, the de facto leaders have dropped a night-time curfew in force since Zelaya sneaked back into the country last week.

Splits appeared, however, in the coup-backed regime of Roberto Micheletti over the new decree suspending rights of assembly and speech.

Early Wednesday rows of baton-wielding riot police and soldiers evicted dozens of Zelaya supporters who had been camping out in the capital to protest for his return.

Police also raided two main dissident media outlets at the start of the week, confiscating their equipment.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Wednesday joined Congress in calling on Micheletti to reverse the clampdown, expressing concern that it would derail November elections.

Micheletti told journalists Wednesday that the decree would be revoked "when we have a consensus with all sectors."

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, the previous mediator in the crisis, has appealed to the international community to help the elections take place as a possible exit to the three-month stalemate.

The San Jose accord proposed by Arias, which both sides previously rejected, includes Zelaya's return to office followed by presidential elections.

Some business leaders have said for the first time that they would accept Zelaya's return to the presidency, but only if his powers were restricted, he responded to the charges against him, and a multinational force oversaw a handover from Micheletti.

The de facto leaders are seeking to arrest Zelaya, who veered to the left after his election and forged an alliance with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, on charges of treason and abuse of authority.