Xiomara Castro remains on track to become president-elect of Honduras

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The presidential candidate of the Libertad y Refundación (Libre) party continues to be ahead in the preliminary results of Sunday’s general elections over the candidate Nasry Asfura, of the ruling National Party of Honduras, which would be coming to the end of three consecutive mandates in power.

According to the last report registered by the National Electoral Council (CNE), by 12 noon local time (18.00 GMT) this Monday (29), Castro had 961,694 votes (53.61 %) against 607,492 (33.87 %) for Asfura, corresponding to 51.45 % of the votes received.

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The overwhelming advantage obtained by Xiomara Castro in a preliminary report on general elections is the highest registered in the Central American country, which in 1980 returned to constitutional order after almost 20 years of military regimes.

In addition, the elections highlighted the high voter participation at the polls with 68.09 % of an electoral roll of 5.1 million people in a country with 9.5 million inhabitants. So far, the CNE registry, which is constantly being updated, has 1.8 million votes processed.

A GOVERNMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Before the first official results proclaimed her president-elect, Castro said after the first CNE report that “God delays but does not forget” and that on Sunday, “the people have done justice, we reversed authoritarianism and continue.”

“We are going to form a government of reconciliation and justice; we are going to initiate a process in all Honduras to guarantee a participative democracy with popular consultations because these will be a norm to govern through local governments, mayors and deputies, never again will power be abused in this country,” expressed the former Honduran first lady.

The Libre candidate is the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted on June 28, 2009, while promoting constitutional reforms in defiance of legal impediments. She also called on her opponents to unite to work for Honduras. In this country, according to various sources, poverty affects more than 70 percent of its population.

Castro further stated that she would strive to “build a different, equitable and just homeland with the capacity to respond to so many needs of the people”.

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