HONDURAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TROT TO THE FINISH

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002414 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA, WHA/PPC, WHA/USOAS, AND WHA/CEN NSC FOR DAN FISK E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ECON KCRM PINR HO SUBJECT: HONDURAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TROT TO THE FINISH LINE: PROGRESS CONTINUES, THOUGH SLOWLY REF: TEGUCIGALPA 2411 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Chief of the Political Section Derrick M. Olsen; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. Progress remains slow with the Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal's (TSE) official tabulation of the November 27 national elections. Honduras remains quiet, though anxious, about the ongoing political stalemate. In the hopes of generating further progress, and as discussed with State/WHA and the NSC, the Embassy released a statement to the press the late afternoon of November 29 about the electoral situation. Post is hopeful that the presidential vote count will take place at a more rapid rate. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has instituted shift work (three 8-hour shifts) in order to work around-the-clock to finish the tabulation of the presidential votes as quickly as possible. Additionally, PolOffs received confirmation that the TSE sorting warehouse in Tegucigalpa has received 85 percent of the voting tabulations done by electoral tables and, while perhaps overly optimistic, expect to receive the remaining 15 percent by 11:00pm November 29. How quickly these vote counts will actually be processed once received is much less certain. ¶3. (U) The TSE official results can now be found on their website, http://resultados.tse/hn . ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador released a statement the late afternoon of November 29 seconding an Organization of American States' Electoral Observation Mission statement making the following three points (full text sent separately to State/WHA): - The elections November 27 went very well, with no signs to cause concern, and the Honduran people should be congratulated. - Given that technical surveys by the TSE and others (i.e. the OAS Quick Count) exist that indicate a projected winner, the TSE official tabulation of votes is even more important. - Professional actions by the TSE are critical for a credible process to officially declare the winner. ¶5. (U) The NGO domestic election observer effort Moviemiento Civico plans to hold a press conference at 10:00am on November 30 to release its report on its observations of the national elections held November 27. ¶6. (C) Comment: Whether or not the National Party rally the evening of November 28 (reftel) or the OAS press statement released the early afternoon of November 29 pushed the TSE into action, or whether it was their own internal mechanisms finally beginning to move, it seems that there is now light at the end of the tunnel and that the TSE will hopefully finish its presidential tabulations relatively rapidly. Although National Party officials have told the Ambassador privately that they know they lost the presidential election, their public actions/statements leave doubt as to if a concession will happen soon or not. End Comment. Ford