Honduras: Hernandez declared President of Honduras

The electoral commission in Honduras says the governing party candidate has won Sunday's presidential election.

"Today's figures indicate clearly that the winner of the election is Juan Orlando Hernandez," said the commission's president David Matamoros.

Mr Hernandez, of the conservative National Party, won 36% of the vote, with results from 81.5% of polling stations tallied.

The left-wing candidate Xiomara Castro won 29%, but she disputes the outcome. Mr Matamoros before 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 Ms Castro said she was robbed of victory. She said she would present evidence of fraud.
Castro arrives at a radio station for an interview, 27/11/2013 Castro had hoped to become the initial female president of Honduras

Since Sunday, her 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.
'Critical inconsistencies'

Ms Castro, the wife of ousted ex-President Manuel Zelaya, had hoped to become the initial female president of Honduras.

Mr Zelaya, who was deposed in a coup in 2009, told reporters there were "critical 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 Castro supporters have by presently protested over the election results.
Students clash with police during turmoil over the election results, 26/11/2013 The threat of social unrest and political violence looms amid the uncertainty

Around 5.4m Hondurans were registered to vote in the general election, selecting a new president, members of parliament and local mayors.

Voting took place amid tight security, but no critical incidents were reported. Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world.

Nicaragua's leftist President Daniel Ortega has congratulated Mr Hernandez on his victory.

However no official winner has been declared.
Drug traffickers

Mr Hernandez, whose National Party backed the ousting of Mr Zelaya, has vowed to replace order with additional soldiers and police on the streets.

Ms Castro proposed a community police force to tackle local crime, with additional soldiers deployed to the borders to combat drug trafficking. Analysts say victory for Mr Hernandez would be a blow to Mr Zelaya, who has hoped to stage a comeback behind his wife.

Honduras is one of the poorest nations in Latin America. It as well has the world's highest murder rate, averaging 20 killings a day.

Much of the violence is blamed on gang violence and drug traffickers. Nearly 30,000 police and soldiers were deployed to ensure security during Sunday's elections.