Juan Orlando Hernandez has been declared the winner of Sunday’s presidential poll in Honduras.
“Today’s figures indicate clearly that the winner of the election is Juan Orlando Hernandez,” said Honduras electoral commission’s president David Matamoros.
Conservative Juan Orlando Hernandez has won 35.88% of the vote, according to AFP news agency.
His main rival, the left-wing candidate Xiomara Castro, has won 29% with 81.5% of polling stations tallied.
David Matamoros earlier said the final result would be known in the next few days, but he called on all candidates to support the new government.
Second-placed Xiomara Castro said she was robbed of victory.
Juan Orlando Hernandez has been declared the winner of Sunday’s presidential poll in Honduras
Xiomara Castro said she would present evidence of fraud.
Since Sunday, Xiomara Castro’s Libre party has alleged massive electoral fraud and refused to accept the results.
On Tuesday, European Union and Organization of American States observers in Honduras said the voting process had been transparent.
Xiomara Castro, the wife of ousted ex-President Manuel Zelaya, had hoped to become the first female president of Honduras.
Manuel Zelaya, who was deposed in a coup in 2009, told reporters there were “serious inconsistencies” in up to 400,000 ballots.
“We are going to defend our triumph at the ballot box and if necessary will take to the streets,” he said.
“Until proven otherwise, we hold triumph in our hands.”
Students and other Xiomara Castro supporters have already protested over the election results.
Around 5.4 million Hondurans were registered to vote in the general election, selecting a new president, members of parliament and local mayors.
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Both main candidates in the presidential election in Honduras are claiming victory.
With 42% of votes declared, the conservative Juan Orlando Hernandez leads with 34.15%, while Xiomara Castro has 28.45%, say election officials.
However, Xiomara Castro, wife of ousted ex-president Manuel Zelaya, has announced to reporters that she has won.
Turn-out was high in Honduras, with millions voting for a new president, members of parliament and local mayors.
Voting took place amid tight security, but no serious incidents were reported in Honduras, which has the highest murder rate in the world.
Polling was extended for one hour due to a big turn-out.
“Thank God and thank you to the Honduran people for this triumph,” posted Juan Orlando Hernandez on his Twitter page, at that stage with 24% of votes declared.
Xiomara Castro also used her Twitter account to announce that she had won: “Based on the exit poll results that I have received from the whole country, I can tell you: I am the president of Honduras.”
Both main candidates in the presidential election in Honduras are claiming victory
She is bidding to become the first female president of Honduras
“Today, we can say that we have won,” Xiomara Castro told reporters.
David Matamoros, president of the electoral court, said final results were not expected until early Monday.
“The preliminary results we have given so far do not show any tendency or declare any winner,” he said.
Opinions polls had pointed to a close race between Xiomara Castro and Juan Orlando Hernandez, the two leading candidates in the presidential race.
Juan Orlando Hernandez, whose National Party backed the military coup in 2009 against Manuel Zelaya, has vowed to restore order with more soldiers and police on the streets.
Xiomara Castro has proposed a community police force to tackle local crime, with more soldiers deployed to the borders to combat drug trafficking.
Around 5.4 million Hondurans were registered to vote and authorities say there was a “massive turn-out”.
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. It also has the world’s highest murder rate, averaging 20 a day.
Much of the violence is blamed on gang violence and drug traffickers.
A margin of just one vote is needed for a win – there is no run-off election.
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