Honduras remains without president-elect two days after election.

Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Two days following Honduras' Nov. 30 general election, the nation still lacks a confirmed president. According to the National Electoral Council, with 57.03% of ballots processed, the two leading contenders Nasry "Tito" Asfura and Salvador Nasralla are separated by a mere 515 votes, effectively creating a dead heat. This exceptionally narrow difference has thrown the country into an unprecedented state of electoral uncertainty.

The Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission (TREP) system went offline Monday afternoon, leaving the official results frozen at the most critical stage of counting, reported local outlet TuNota. The Electoral Council confirmed the system shutdown, transitioning the process into a new phase where transmitted results will no longer be altered and will serve as a static reference for the public.

Next steps involve counting the remaining ballots under contingency protocols, alongside a special review to confirm results where discrepancies or errors appear.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his official Truth Social account Monday, warning of potential repercussions if Honduras modifies election outcomes and urged authorities to resume the vote count, halted on election night. He stated, "Honduras is trying to change the results," adding, "there will be hell to pay!"

ADS Group, responsible for TREPs technology, reported two hacking attempts. The disruptions were linked to an unusual surge in traffic and irregular activity patterns, affecting system stability and causing immediate downtime, El Heraldo reported.

Electoral Council President Ana Paola Hall called for calm, emphasizing that remaining ballots must be processed under contingency measures before a special review is conducted ahead of the official announcement. "We must remain calm, be patient. The peace with which the process unfolded must be maintained until it ends," Hall said on X. She highlighted that the country remained peaceful after the election and stressed transparency and respect for the popular vote.

Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla declared himself the "projected winner," confident that outstanding ballots from his strongholds will shift the results in his favor. "We are going to end up beating the National Party by 120,000 votes," he said, anticipating a decisive win once all votes are tallied, according to local outlet Criterio.

National Party candidate Nasry "Tito" Asfura, who holds a slim early lead, refrained from claiming victory prematurely. He urged voters to wait for official confirmation and called on the electoral body to conduct the process transparently and efficiently. Asfura, endorsed by Trump, stated his internal counts still show him ahead.

A third contender, Rixi Moncada of the Libre Party, finished a distant third. She rejected preliminary results, insisting that no outcome will be accepted until 100% of ballots are counted. Her position is supported by former presidents Manuel Zelaya and Xiomara Castro, signaling potential challenges from the ruling party if the final outcome is unfavorable.

Author: Sophia Brooks