Honduras’ CNE Denounces Serious Delays in Special Election Scrutiny

Tegucigalpa.- The president of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Honduras denounced this Saturday that the «serious delays in the special scrutiny» of the general elections of last November 30 continue and that there is an «atmosphere of intimidation» in the Electoral Logistics Center (CLE). “Serious delays continue in the special scrutiny taking place in the CLE. The little progress includes zero-vote records and a climate of intimidation against electoral officials and members proposed by parties. This issue, which is of national security, would be addressed in the session that was sabotaged by a Counselor” (Marlon Ochoa, representatives of the leftist ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party, Libre), indicated Ana Paola Hall in a message on the social network X. She added that “at this point, it is clear that there are sectors within political parties that lend themselves to delaying the scrutiny and complicating the elections,” the official said.

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Hall pointed out that the CNE continues to “face actions whose purpose is to interrupt and delay the electoral process” and that “pressures increase” for her and fellow counselor Cossette López to attend “in person a plenary session” of that body. “It is legal and normal to hold virtual sessions. Why is a Counselor so insistent today that we attend in person? How difficult it is not to conclude that the intention is for both of us to fall into a trap from which we cannot escape, and that makes it impossible for the electoral process to move forward,” warned Hall, who represents the Liberal Party.

Political sectors complicate the elections

Hall also denounced that today’s A shift accredited in the special scrutiny, from 07:00 to 19:00 local time (13:00 to 01:00 GMT), with almost 100 Boards formed, processed approximately 112 presidential records, something he described as “unheard of, when the time initially estimated for the scrutiny of the presidential level was 40 minutes on average”. “I repeat that all members of special boards are proposed by political parties. The Parties are urgently and emphatically called upon to immediately replace the members of the Boards who are lending themselves to these regrettable actions,” said the president of the council. The special scrutiny for 2,792 electoral records with inconsistencies was scheduled to begin on Saturday, December 13, but started last Thursday.