HONDURAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DAY 5 - AFTERNOON

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002432

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/PPC, WHA/USOAS, AND WHA/CEN
NSC FOR DAN FISK

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ECON KCRM PINR HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DAY 5 - AFTERNOON
UPDATE - WAITING FOR LOBO

REF: TEGUCIGALPA 2429 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Chief of the Political Section Derrick M. Olsen;
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE)
continues to enter in the vote counts and update its web site
so that Honduras can monitor the tabulation process itself.
The process is still slow, but at this stage, nearly
three-quarters of the way done and Liberal Party presidential
candidate Manuel "Mel" Zelaya maintains his lead over
National Party presidential candidate Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo.
While some in the Nationalist Party continue to cry foul, it
seems not to be affecting the presidential vote count. End
Summary.


2. (U) As of 4:10pm local time, the Supreme Electoral
Tribunal (TSE) had 73.93 percent of the electoral tables
counted. Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel "Mel"
Zelaya continues to lead National Party presidential
candidate Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo 49.61 percent (770,049 votes)
to 46.33 percent (719,103 votes); a 3.28 percent lead.
These numbers include approximately 77.98 percent of the
Cortes Department, including San Pedro Sula (where Zelaya is
beating Pepe by 8.3 percent),and 85.2 percent of Francisco
Morazan Department, including Tegucigalpa (where Lobo has a
4.62 percent lead over Zelaya). The latest results can be
found at http://resultados.tse.hn (when the site is working).


3. (SBU) On November 29, 83 packages of vote counts were sent
from San Pedro Sula to the TSE sorting warehouse in
Tegucigalpa. Of the 83 vote counts that were turned in,
problems included two blank tallies, one that was alleged to
have been blank/erased somehow, and one with an excess of
three ballots. The TSE request the San Pedro Sula municipal
electoral tribunal to send any and all remaining materials
from these 83 electoral tables to Tegucigalpa. (Note: These
and other alleged irregularities led to the National Party's
request to nullify some vote counts from San Pedro Sula. End
Note.)


4. (C) Comment: Lobo's promised concession was still pending
at 5:30pm. Post will contact Washington immediately if Lobo
concedes later tonight. End Comment.
Ford