Lobo to become Honduras' new president
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Opposition candidate Porfirio Lobo is poised to become the new president of Honduras after preliminary results showed he gained 55.9 percent of the vote in Sunday's general elections.
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Honduran presidential candidate for the National Party, Porfirio Lobo (L) meets with his supporters in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, Nov. 29, 2009. Opposition candidate Porfirio Lobo has claimed victory in Honduras' presidential election on Sunday. [Photo: Xinhua] |
Lobo has claimed victory in the polls and thanked the people for their "votes and trust."
"Tomorrow we will start the political dialogue to make the nation's plan concrete," which will not leave anybody aside, "because we all are Hondurans," Lobo said.
Lobo had a commanding lead over rival Elvin Santos from the ruling Liberal Party, who gained 38 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results released by the election authorities.
Honduran voters went to the polls on Sunday in a disputed election after a coup five months ago ousted President Manuel Zelaya and divided the Central American country into two camps.
Zelaya and his supporters have called the vote "illegal" and boycotted it.
The polls went largely peacefully across the country. However, there were reports of violence in San Pedro Sula in northern Honduras, where supporters of Zelaya took to the streets and clashed with riot police.
Police used tear gas to disperse the protestors, injuring several people, witnesses said.
Many countries have refused to recognize the de facto government after the June 28 coup and demanded the reinstatement of Zelaya. But some others, including the United States, Canada, Peru, Costa Rica and Panama, have said they will recognize the outcome of the elections as long as the process proves clean and transparent.
More than 4.6 million out of the 7.7 million Honduran people were registered for the general elections to pick a president, three vice presidents, deputies to the National Congress, deputies to the Central American Parliament and mayors.
The winner of the presidential vote is scheduled to take office on Jan. 27, 2010 for a four-year term.
