🔗 Share this article Honduran Contender Alleges Election Has Been 'Stolen' The atmosphere has been tense as the lead changed hands several times. The centrist candidate in Honduras's tightly contested presidential election, Salvador Nasralla, has alleged "unscrupulous individuals" of tampering with the vote count in the Central American nation. Nine days after the election, the election authority has still not declared a winner, but the most recent tally suggest that Nasry "Tito" Asfura, the right-wing contender backed by US President Donald Trump, holds a slim advantage. Nasralla, who had been ahead in the initial stages before dropping into second place, stated on social media: "This is a robbery." The left-wing candidate placed in third, Rixi Moncada, has demanded the vote to be annulled and accused Trump of the election. Close Results and Growing Frustration With the vast majority of votes counted, Asfura had just over forty percent of the vote, ahead of Nasralla with 39.16% and Moncada with 19.32%, according to the election body's update. Patience has worn thin over the last week as the counting was repeatedly halted, sometimes for extended periods. Representatives of the CNE blamed "IT issues." They have also warned that thousands of voting records with "discrepancies" still need to be reviewed. Trump's Backing and Surprise Pardon The run-up to the election was dominated by Trump's endorsement of Nasry "Tito" Asfura. Just days before the vote, Trump threw his weight behind the former mayor of Tegucigalpa, stating that "Tito and I can work together to fight the Narcocommunists." "Our support will be strong should Asfura win, but the United States will not be throwing good money after bad, because a poor choice can only bring catastrophic results," Trump added. In a unexpected action two days before the election, Trump also granted clemency to jailed former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who is from the same party as Asfura. Hernández was in the midst of a 45-year prison sentence in the US for trafficking cocaine. His clemency and freedom has stunned Honduran authorities, who issued an international arrest warrant for Hernández, who remains in the US. Rising Tensions and Allegations of Meddling Meanwhile, tension has been rising as the lead in the vote count changed a number of times. Trump claimed the CNE of "seeking to alter" the outcome when Nasralla pulled past Asfura early on. "They will face severe consequences," the US president said without offering proof of any fraud. Since the moment the Trump-endorsed Asfura took the lead, it has been his two rivals alleging misconduct. Rixi Moncada's Libre party called for the "complete cancellation" of the elections. It also urged its supporters to take to the streets against what it called "meddling and pressure of the President of the United States." Nasralla blamed unnamed "corrupt ones" for "holding up the counting process." Under Honduran law, the CNE has until 30 December to declare a winner.