Honduran election officials have begun to resume tallies of the vote after a three-day suspension during which claims of fraud and irregularities mounted. The misuse of the November 30 elections has raised grave apprehensions accordingly. The country is still learning to cope with—and overcome—the shocks of its own tumultuous political past, marked by repression and violence since the coup of 2009.
This election comes on the heels of a contentious 2017 vote. During that election cycle, security forces shot unarmed protesters, killing at least 16 civilians. Those protests that year led to around 30 people being killed across the country, showcasing the explosive environment surrounding electoral politics in Honduras.
Officials have stated that up to 14 percent of tally sheets contained discrepancies. These cheat sheets are still a work in progress. At the time of writing, 89 percent of the votes have been counted. Nasry Asfura is currently in the lead, with 40.21 percent of votes counted. Salvador Nasralla is neck and neck with 39.5 percent. Leftist candidate Rixi Moncada from the ruling LIBRE party is in a close third with 19.28 percent.
In the weeks leading up to the election, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly backed Asfura. He even suggested that U.S. aid could be conditioned on Asfura’s performance. Trump stated, “If he [Asfura] doesn’t win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad.” This perceived interference was roundly criticized by Nasralla, who claimed that Trump was acting to attack his campaign and affect voters’ decision to turnout on election day.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) has come under fire, with allegations of harassment and intimidation between its members. The conservative representative on the CNE panel accused such a LIBRE member of doing just that. Amid these tensions, Ana Paola Hall, president of the CNE, assured the public through social media that necessary technical procedures were being conducted: “After carrying out the necessary technical actions (with external auditing), the data is now being updated in the results.”
In light of ongoing allegations, Hall urged vigilance among citizens and encouraged them to “stay alert and, where applicable, file the corresponding challenges in accordance with the law.”
Nasralla further escalated the rhetoric by claiming that “the corrupt ones are the ones holding up the counting process,” intensifying distrust among voters regarding the electoral integrity.
