Honduras awaits outcome of tight presidential vote
Tegucigalpa, (MILLAT ONLINE):Hondurans waited Monday to learn who will be their next president after both leftist TV host-turned-politician Salvador Nasralla and the incumbent Juan Orlando Hernandez claimed victory — and as the ballot count dragged on.
Sunday’s election in a Central American country wracked by gang violence passed off peacefully, but took a turn towards the dramatic when much-delayed initial figures released early Monday showed Nasralla unexpectedly in front.
With 57 percent of the ballots counted Monday, Nasralla had 45.17 percent of votes compared to Hernandez’s 40.21 percent, according to the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).
As evening closed in however, Hondurans still had no idea who their next president would be; the electoral council said final word would come when the last vote was counted, which it said could be as late as Thursday.
Thousands of Nasralla supporters gathered in front of the TSE headquarters in Tegucigalpa to celebrate what they considered to be a victory for their candidate, waving the red flags of his coalition and chanting “JOH out!” using the president’s initials.
Reinaldo Sanchez, president of the ruling National Party, called on his party supporters to turn out to “defend the victory” of Hernandez. They, too, were out in force.
The local Honduran observers’ body criticized the “disturbing delay” in updating the results.