TEGUCIGALPA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Leftist TV presenter-turned-politician Salvador Nasralla, the main challenger to Honduras' president, took a surprise lead Monday in early returns from the presidential election.
However, supporters of both Nasralla and the conservative incumbent, Juan Orlando Hernandez, took to the streets of the capital, as both sides declared victory.
Initial results at 5:30 p.m. local time (2330 GMT) based on 57.94 percent of the vote counted showed that 64-year-old Nasralla, of the Opposition Alliance, had 45.18 percent of ballots, followed closely by 49-year-old Hernandez, with 40.19 percent. Luis Zelaya, of the Liberal Party, came in at a distant third with 13.78 percent.
The final results will be revealed by Thursday at the latest after all the votes get into the system, said David Matamoros Batson, president of Honduras' Supreme Electoral Court on Monday, adding that two million votes are yet to be counted.
"What is missing are ... two million votes. As we keep advancing, we will continue revealing (the results)," he told a press conference.
"We could not give more results until we have the voting slips that come in the boxes," he added.
He added that the results of the 2013 presidential election were given 21 days after the vote took place.
