Leftist holds commanding lead in Honduran presidential vote

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN and MARLON GONZÁLEZ
Associated Press

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Leftist opposition candidate Xiomara Castro is holding a commanding lead as Hondurans appear poised to remove the conservative National Party after 12 years of continuous rule. Castro declared herself the winner despite orders from the National Electoral Council to political parties to await official results. “We win! We win!” Castro, Honduras’ former first lady, who is making her third presidential run, told cheering Liberty and Re-foundation party supporters when only a fraction of the ballots had been tallied Sunday night. “Today the people have obtained justice. We have reversed authoritarianism.” The National Party also quickly declared victory for its candidate, Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Asfura, but the early returns were not promising.