Honduran president leading in vote tally

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras’ electoral court has finished counting nearly 95 percent of the vote boxes from Sunday’s presidential election and was to begin a hand count of 1,031 other boxes that presented “inconsistencies” on Friday.

Incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez held a lead of more than 46,000 votes over challenger Salvador Nasralla before the last-stage count. It was not immediately clear how many votes could be at play in the uncounted boxes.

Electoral court president David Matamoros said late Thursday that representatives of the political parties would be present for the vote counts and that no announcements would be made until there is a final result.

After speaking with representatives of the opposition alliance and the National Party, Matamoros said Friday that each party would be able to accredit 60 people to participate in the afternoon count alongside international observers. He estimated it could take six hours.

But the opposition published a list of demands that included a broader review of votes in three jurisdictions where it alleges voter turnout was unusually high and said the number of ballot boxes that presented issues was far larger. It was unclear if its demands would be met.

In a statement, the court also said any suggestion of wrongdoing in its operations is false and lamented the increasing violence in the streets.

AP/RODRIGO ABD A man and a boy run through smoke at a burning barricade after protests broke out Friday in Tegucigalpa over the ballot counting in Honduras’ presidential election.