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Porfirio Lobo leads in Honduran presidential race - exit polls

Porfirio Lobo leads in Honduran presidential race - exit polls
 Porfirio Lobo leads in Honduran presidential race - exit polls  - Sputnik International
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Porfirio Lobo, presidential candidate for the Honduran opposition National Party, is leading in Sunday's election, local media has said, quoting data from exit polls.

MOSCOW/BUENOS AIRES, November (RIA Novosti) - Porfirio Lobo, presidential candidate for the Honduran opposition National Party, is leading in Sunday's election, local media has said, quoting data from exit polls.

According to preliminary data, the 61-year-old opposition leader received around 56% of the vote. His main rival, 46-year-old businessman Elvin Santos representing the ruling Liberal Party, came second in the presidential race, with about 38% of the vote.

Five candidates contended for the top position amid the ongoing political crisis in Honduras. Neither Manuel Zelaya, nor the interim leader, Roberto Micheletti, took part.

Supporters of ousted Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya said 65 to 70% of country's citizens eligible for voting did not take part in the elections, claiming the vote to be considered invalid.

Zelaya supporters openly vowed to disrupt the vote because both Porfirio Lobo and Elvin Santos belong to the two main parties that voted overwhelmingly in Congress to support Zelaya's ouster.

Zelaya earlier called on for Hondurans to boycott the elections, which he described as "farce and fraud."

The de facto government said the elections are the only way to overcome the political crisis.

Many countries and international bodies have warned they would not recognize election results if the Honduran polls are held under Roberto Micheletti's presidency. The interim leader announced on Wednesday he was temporarily stepping down to "guarantee free, spontaneous and transparent" elections.

The U.S., Peru, Panama and Costa Rica have so far announced they would recognize the results.

President Manuel Zelaya was bundled out of Honduras on June 28 by the military, acting on instructions from the Supreme Court and parliament, over efforts to seek an unconstitutional second presidential term. He was flown to Costa Rica, and his place was taken by Micheletti, the parliamentary speaker.

Talks to end the crisis have so far failed even though the sides signed a U.S.-brokered accord, and began to form a national unity and reconciliation government. Zelaya and his supporters later quit the agreement and were not present when Micheletti formed the reconciliation government, saying that their main demand - to reinstate Zelaya ahead of national elections - was not met.

 

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