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OAS Electoral Observation Mission in Honduras Urges Supreme Electoral Court to Process all Ballots before Proclaiming the Results

  November 30, 2017

The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (EOM/OAS) reiterates to the Honduran people and political parties the importance of staying calm and waiting until the processing of all ballots has been completed. The Mission has sent a letter to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) urging it to process 100% of the ballots, including those that must be processed through a special count, before proclaiming the results given the fact that, due to the narrow margins of the presidential election, these ballots may be decisive.

The EOM/OAS regrets the incidents of violence that took place last night in the collection center (INFOP), and in other parts of the country which forced the Mission to evacuate the observers who were there. These incidents interrupted the delivery of material and the review of electoral bags, as well as the scanning of ballots. The Mission highlights the importance of protecting the electoral material so that the electoral authorities and the political parties, as inspectors of the process, can move forward with all the guarantees and transparency during the processing of the ballots and vote counting.

At the end of this stage, political parties should be given the opportunity to present challenges. These will have to be dealt with impartially within a reasonable time and following due process. This is the only way to restore confidence in this election and in the integrity of the popular will.

The Mission will continue its observation of this stage of the electoral process in Honduras.

Reference: E-087/17