High-Stakes Honduran Election: A Chaotic Countdown

The Honduran election remains in suspense with National Party's Nasry Asfura leading amid allegations of fraud and slow vote counting. With 89% of ballots tallied, tensions rise as international observers urge transparency in the face of potential protests similar to those in 2017.

Honduran election officials have resumed releasing results from the November 30 presidential election after a pause of three days. The latest figures show National Party candidate Nasry Asfura leading by a narrow margin of over 20,000 votes. With 89% of ballots counted, Asfura has garnered 40.21% of the vote, closely followed by Salvador Nasralla with 39.50%.

Amid accusations of fraud and demands for election annulment, the National Electoral Council has begun reviewing inconsistencies in 14% of the processed tally sheets. International monitors have urged authorities to expedite the counting process to maintain public trust in the election results.

Despite tensions, the streets of Tegucigalpa and other cities have remained calm, avoiding a repeat of the violence seen after the contested 2017 election. However, frustrations persist over the chaotic release of results, leading to calls for transparency and efficiency from election officials.