Honduras election official says disturbances' preventing vote recount

"The head of Honduras's National Electoral Council (CNE) has decried acts preventing the ongoing recount of the Central American country's presidential election, as a regional body said there was no reason to suspect fraud in the November 30 vote. Ana Paola Hall's statement on Monday came amid ongoing protests and unrest over the unresolved election. Nasry Asfura, a right-wing businessman publicly supported by US President Donald Trump, has held a razor-thin lead over his top opponent, Salvador Nasralla."

"At least 99 percent of votes have already been counted, but CNE has said that nearly 2,800 ballots will need to be re-examined through a special recount. In a post on X, Hall said disturbances seen in the country's capital, Tegucigalpa, have prevented the necessary conditions for the special recount to begin. Observers have said infighting at the CNE, which is run by three officials each representing one of the major political parties, has delayed reaching the final results."

"Both Nasralla, a conservative, and outgoing left-wing President Xiomara Castro have alleged vote tampering, although several international missions have dismissed the claims. On Monday, the Organization of American States (OAS), a regional body, said that despite a lack of expertise in overseeing the election, there was not any evidence that would cast doubt on the results. The OAS mission urgently calls on the electoral authorities to immediately begin the special recount and to explore all possible ways to obtain the official results as quickly as possible, OAS official Eladio Loizaga said in a report he read to the group's members."

Ana Paola Hall, head of Honduras's National Electoral Council, denounced acts preventing the planned special recount of November 30 presidential votes. Protests and unrest in Tegucigalpa have blocked the recount that must re-examine nearly 2,800 ballots after 99 percent of votes were counted. Infighting among the CNE's three-party leadership has delayed final results. Nasry Asfura holds a razor-thin lead over Salvador Nasralla amid allegations of vote tampering from Nasralla and outgoing President Xiomara Castro. International missions, including an OAS mission of 101 observers from 19 countries, reported no evidence of fraud and urged an immediate recount to publish results.

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