Honduras elects president amid tension and accusations

Tegucigalpa (dpa/DNA) – Honduras will go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president amid intense political polarisation and allegations of attempted fraud. International observers have expressed concern about the integrity of the process. Some 6.5 million voters are also called upon to elect deputies and mayors in the Central American country.Three main candidates are vying to succeed left-wing President Xiomara Castro, whose four-year term ends in January. Castro, the first woman to govern Honduras, is the wife of Manuel Zelaya, the former president who was ousted in 2009 by a coup led by the armed forces.The elections will be decided by a simple majority in a single round and are expected to be close between the ruling party candidate, former Defense Minister Rixi Moncada, 60, of the Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre), and two conservative opponents: 72-year-old television presenter and politician Salvador Nasralla, representing the Liberal Party, and 67-year-old Nasry Asfura, former mayor of the capital, Tegucigalpa, representing the National Party.

Pre-election tension

The months leading up to the elections have been tense. The National Electoral Council (CNE), made up of three councilors—one from each of the major parties—has been accused by the ruling party of plotting a conspiracy to manipulate the results.“I strongly condemn this criminal conspiracy aimed at provoking an electoral coup, as expressed by the Attorney General of the Republic,” said President Castro on X . “The same groups that violated the Constitution in the 2009 coup and carried out electoral fraud in 2013 and 2017 are now once again attempting to supplant the will of the people, create chaos, and hijack popular sovereignty,” she said.The 2013 and 2017 elections were won by Juan Orlando Hernández of the National Party, who is currently serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States on drug trafficking charges. The post-election conflict in 2017 left more than 20 people dead. In those elections, which Nasralla lost by a narrow margin as candidate of an opposition alliance, international observers also reported irregularities. Nasralla is now running for president for the third time.

Cross accusations

According to ruling party candidate Moncada, the TREP preliminary results system, which will electronically reflect the results of the ballots, has been “hacked.” She therefore said that she will only recognize the final count of the more than 19,000 vote tally sheets as valid, a process that could take several days. “Be careful: don't even think about trying to alter the results,” she warned.

For its part, the opposition has denounced undue pressure on the electoral body from the ruling party, particularly through the Attorney General's Office and the Armed Forces. “Libertad y Refundación is lying with its false concern about fraud. Fraud does not come from below. It is always much more likely when you are in power,” said Liberal candidate Nasralla.

Calls to respect the process

The international community has raised its voice to express its concerns and urge that the democratic process be allowed to proceed peacefully."The EU calls on the Honduran authorities and on all political parties and actors to ensure that electoral institutions are able to operate independently and effectively, in line with the Constitution. Transparency, credibility, stability, and political inclusiveness are essential to enable Honduran citizens to vote in a peaceful and orderly environment," said Anitta Hipper, Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, of the European Union.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, stated that elections must be free from any political interference by state institutions. “We urge all political leaders, candidates, and citizens to contribute positively in the upcoming days to ensure an orderly and peaceful electoral process.” The United States has also expressed concerns.

A country with poverty and inequality

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Central America, with persistent poverty and high inequality. One in six inhabitants is poor, according to official statistics. Thousands of Hondurans have emigrated to the United States. Other problems facing the country include drug trafficking and corruption.However, the economy has performed well in recent years, accompanied by a reduction in unemployment. GDP growth of 3.8 percent is projected for 2025, according to estimates by the International Monetary Fund. Between 2022 and 2025, under the current president's administration, average growth has been around two percent per year. The current government is close to Venezuela, Nicaragua and China. The opposition candidates have called for breaking relations with China and with authoritarian governments in the region.