TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS.- Initially the exit polls, then the first reduction of the results of the National Electoral Council (CNE) and, to close, the admission this Thursday of Mauricio Oliva of his defeat raised to Nasry “Tito” Asfura as a presidential candidate of the National Party for the general elections in Honduras.
Asfura thus breaks with a “curse” of more than 20 years ago, which weighed the mayors of the capital who aspired to the presidency of the Republic: all had faced a president of the National Congress and all had lost.
Since the first polls on Sunday, in the absence of official results, an electoral coup was predicted by the mayor of the capital and the pre-candidate of the “Unity and Hope” movement against the leader Legislative power, being two to one in votes: two points for “Tito” for one that Oliva obtained.
Despite this, in “Tito” (twice mayor in a row) on Sunday austerity and serenity reigned: “We must not celebrate anything here, we are a strong and united party.” Oliva, from “Juntos Podemos”, was just waiting for the official results.
These data officially arrived on Wednesday evening, when CNE gave its first result, where Asfura obtained 74% of the vote (with 101,573 marks in his favor), while Oliva was in 26% (36,258 votes).
For the president of the National Congress, these figures were enough to know that there is an abysmal difference and, unlike the other political parties in which they live an atrocious struggle due to disagreements with the results, he accepted defeat.
(1/3) The results that @CneHonduras it shows an irreversible tendency that does not favor me. Respecting the institutions, he accepted them and was attentive to the other elective levels ready to defend the positions obtained by our candidates.
– Mauricio Oliva (@DrMauriciolivaH) March 18, 2021
See: We don’t have to celebrate anything here, we are a strong and united party: “Tito” Asfura
Primary vs. president of the National Congress
Ever since Honduras began to live the democratic stage (since 1982) after being subdued under the military mandate, four times a president of the National Congress has faced a mayor of Tegucigalpa in the primary or general elections.
The common denominator: in all confrontations, the representative of the Legislature won.
Proof of this is proven by history: Nora Gúnera de Melgar (mayor from 1990-1994) lost in 1997 to Carlos Flores (President of the 1994-1998 Legislature).
The same thing happened with Miguel Pastor in 2005 when he fell to Porfirio Lobo Sosa. The difference is that both were in office at the time of the confrontation.
Then he would have added Ricardo Alvarez in 2013, who could not against Juan Orlando Hernández. Alvarez will add eight years as mayor, while Hernandez was head of the National Congress.
Three to zero, in favor of the congressmen.
History has changed: Nasry Asfura, 62, is the National Party’s candidate in next November’s general election due to the fact that seven out of 10 nationalists voted for him in the primary election on Sunday.
And this resounding triumph was achieved despite the fact that elections were held in the face of a pandemic and the erosion of the National Party due to allegations of corruption and drug trafficking.
Read also: “Tito” Asfura, a charismatic candidate who moves away from the cameras
Popularity
Experts have estimated that Nasry Asfura will not get enough votes to run for nationalism because he was known only in Tegucigalpa for his leadership as mayor, but all indications are that he can win 16 of the 18 departments.
The certainty of victory was so strong in the “Papi a la Orden” movement that the candidate for mayor of Tegucigalpa, David Chavez, announced that he will make his position available if he loses as well Antonio rivera, again aspiring to be a congressman.
In eight years, translated into two terms as mayor of the capital, “Tito” gave the city a different face, said the citizen. Evelyn ortez, who also stressed “the evil is that in recent months he has abandoned the work for politics.”
See also: Honduras Election Results: Who Wins Presidential Elections?
The penultimate step
The “Unity and Hope” movement was formed without a leader running for president. But because of the passing of the days and direct and indirect pressure, Nasry Asfura accepted the challenge of starting the process for the presidency of the Republic of Honduras.
This is how the current “Unity and Hope” was registered on November 13 at CNE. Four months later, “Papi a la Orden” feeds the illusion of nationalism to succeed him. Juan Orlando Hernandez, nationalist president who will end his term on January 27, 2022.
The fact that “Tito” has reached an already consolidated movement has also allowed him to enjoy the growth of his followers, commented, meanwhile, the expert Arnulfo Castellanos.
“He was already popular, but he got to a base where almost all politicians are well known, he gave him the supplement he needed,” he said.
The movement is so well structured that they have their own center for calculating and disseminating the results with copies of the minutes at the three levels (president, deputies and mayors).
“Papi a la Orden” and his movement face two challenges: increase your strength with Mauricio Oliva in the National Party and leaves mayoralty in the presidency of Honduras, a fact that no politician has achieved so far.
Rather, three challenges: at the gates there is a preliminary process for money laundering.