US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA2432

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