Xiomara Castro – President-elect received the most votes in the history of Honduras

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The virtually elected president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, after counting 80.66% of the votes, has 1.4 million “yes” votes, the best result achieved by a candidate since records began.

According to the last update of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Castro, leader of the Libertad y Refundación (Libre) party, had this Saturday, November 4, 1.409.689 votes (50,63 %), against 999.214 (35,89 %) of Nasry Asfura, of the ruling National Party.

The CNE had processed, until 1PM local time (19.00 GMT), 2.89 million ballots, out of 5.18 million eligible voters for the eleventh general elections held in Honduras since the return to constitutional order in 1980.

Castro came to the elections at the head of a de facto alliance between Libre and the National Opposition Union of Honduras (Unoh), composed of two minority parties, only for the presidential ticket.

Of the candidates elected since 1981, none reached even 1.2 million ballots, which contrasts with the results of Xiomara Castro, without the completion of the scrutiny.

Regarding the results for deputies, the vote count, with 62.2 % processed by the CNE, three parties – Libre, the National, Salvador de Honduras, and Liberal – are the ones receiving the most seats among the total 128 in Parliament.

The counting of the disputed votes is taking place amid multiple accusations and denunciations of fraud that have been made by candidates of Libre, Nacional, and Salvador de Honduras during the week, alleging that they want to displace them so that others can reach the Legislative power.

One of the accusations is against the Minister of the Presidency, Ebal Díaz, by his party’s candidates, the Nacional. They claim that he is responsible for degrading the vote count to be at least among the ten deputies that this political institution would be obtaining.

Diaz has rejected the multiple accusations and has asked those who accuse him to “present evidence”.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has guarded the CNE facilities where all the electoral material is being processed in case of possible violent incidents due to the claims. However, so far, everything has been going on with apparent normality.

On Friday, the CNE extended until December 6 the deadline for challenges for irregularities in the results for all popularly elected positions.

The complaints of alleged “fraud” denounced by some candidates for deputies are being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Electoral Justice Tribunal.

The three CNE councilors have reiterated that all challenges will be attended. Suppose it is proven who has altered the vote count and committed other irregularities. In that case, they will be taken to trial because a process that has cost Hondurans 1.9 billion lempiras (US$ 78.1 million) cannot be tarnished.

From election day, the CNE has 30 days to declare Xiomara Castro president, who will take office on January 27, 2022, replacing Juan Orlando Hernández, who will serve his second term in power.