Was Nasry Asfura Declared Constitutional President of Honduras?
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Key Takeaways
Tegucigalpa, Dec 25 (NationPress) The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Honduras has announced that Nasry Asfura, the candidate from the National Party, has been elected as the constitutional president following the general elections that took place on November 30.
Official data from the CNE reveals that Asfura secured 40.27 percent of the votes, narrowly surpassing Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, who received 39.53 percent. Rixi Moncada from the Liberty and Refoundation Party followed with 19.19 percent.
The CNE's declaration came 24 days post-election, delayed due to issues with the vote-counting system, which raised allegations of irregularities from various political figures claiming potential electoral fraud, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Prior to the elections, Donald Trump, the former US President, endorsed Asfura, and hinted that US financial assistance to Honduras could be contingent on Asfura's victory.
On December 9, Xiomara Castro, the current President of Honduras, criticized what she termed external interference in the electoral process, stating that it was marred by threats, coercion, and manipulation. She specifically called out Trump’s involvement as detrimental to Honduran sovereignty and democratic integrity.
Former President Manuel Zelaya also accused Trump of meddling in Honduras' electoral affairs, particularly after Trump’s public support for Asfura and his pardon of another former president from the same party.
Zelaya, who is the general coordinator of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre), expressed skepticism over the expedited release of former President Juan Orlando Hernandez from a US prison, where he had served only two years of a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking.
Preliminary results from the CNE suggested a close contest between Asfura and Nasralla, with Zelaya alleging that Trump's actions were intended to manipulate the will of the electorate.