Xiomara Castro Leads Polls in Honduran Presidential Election

On Wednesday, the Democracy Studies Center (CESPAD) presented a poll showing that Honduras’ Freedom and Refounding Party (LIBRE) candidate Xiomara Castro leads over the National Party candidate Nasry Asfura by 17 percentage points before the Presidential elections to be held on Nov. 28. 

Related

'We Will Fight Against Corruption,' Honduran Opposition Vows

Castro has 38 percent voting preference after the recent alliance between her party and the Savior Party of Honduras (PSH), whose chairman, Salvador Nasralla, became the vice-presidential candidate of the coalition.

The nationwide poll, which was conducted via telephone between Oct. 12 and 20 and has a 2 percent margin of error, showed that 63 percent of the people are dissatisfied with President Juan Orlando Hernandez. Citizen dissatisfaction even reaches 78 percent in matters such as job creation and the fight against corruption.

A Gallup poll published in September before the establishment of the social-democrat coalition showed that Asfura was ahead with 21 percent of voter intention over Castro and Nasralla. 

There is widespread fear that the election will be fraudulent. Half of the survey respondents believe there will be high-level fraud, and 43 percent expect social protests after the election results.

On Wednesday, 30 European Union (EU) electoral observers arrived in Tegucigalpa to meet with local authorities, civil organizations, and the media. They will analyze the electoral process and assess its validity.

Xiomara Castro is the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya, who was deposed in a military coup in 2009.  She was candidate in 2013 but lost in the general election against Hernandez, a right wing politician who backs Asfura.