The vote counting in Honduras's general election was 99% complete as of March 9. Honduran President Fidel Castro accused US President Donald Trump of election manipulation on March 9; Trump-backed conservative candidate Asfra leads by a narrow margin, while centrist candidate Naslaya, who is in second place, also accused the election of fraud on March 8.
Trump accused of election manipulation: What's the latest vote count?
According to reports from AFP and other foreign media outlets, the vote counting had been stalled at 88.6% since the 5th, but resumed on the 8th, with nearly 99% completed. The Honduran National Electoral Commission (CNE) stated that Nasry Asfura is leading with 40.53% of the vote, while Salvador Nasralla is in second place with 39.16%. Both are far ahead of the ruling party candidate, Rixi Moncada, who is in third place.
Both Asfra and Naslaya had stated before the election that if elected president, they might restore diplomatic relations with Taiwan, making the election a subject of much attention.
Xiomara Castro accused Trump of interfering in the election and manipulating the vote count. During a campaign rally in central Honduras, he stated that while the people participated in the election with"courage and determination," the voting process was "full of threats, coercion, and manipulation of the preliminary vote counting system," even altering public opinion. He also accused Trump of interfering in the election,"threatening" the people of Honduras not to vote for Moncada.
What are the reasons behind Nasraraya's allegations of vote rigging?
Nasraya posted on X, writing:"The corrupt have halted the election process because they do not accept the people's decision. I will become president, but they refuse to acknowledge the results and manipulate data updates to create uncertainty. What is happening now is clearly an attempt to steal the election, and everyone knows that this obstruction comes from ASD (the company responsible for releasing election results) and those who are afraid of losing their privileges. Our country demands transparency and respect for the people's choice."
He also posted on the 9th, writing:"The ASD system malfunctioned because it automatically disconnected when Nasraya was ahead in the vote count," and "I want to emphasize that it's one thing to be calm and collected, but today I am no longer as alone as I was in 2013 and 2017. Now, my party has a strong team that will never allow election fraud to occur."
Election officials stated that thousands of voter records with "inconsistencies" still need to be reviewed. Under Honduran law, the Honduran National Electoral Commission must announce the winner by December 30th.
