TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — A Honduran political party led by ousted President Manuel Zelaya has chosen his wife to be its presidential candidate in elections next November.

A convention held by the Free Party on Sunday nominated Xiomara Castro, who opinion polls say is one of the most popular Hondurans touted as presidential candidates.

Castro told the convention that if she wins, her first executive action will be to set in motion a national constituent assembly to propose changes in the system for increasing popular participation in government.

An attempt by Zelaya to hold a referendum asking whether Honduras' constitution should be rewritten led to a coup that removed him from office and sent him into exile in June 2009. He was allowed to return two years later.