Partial Tally Shows Ruling-Party Candidate Ahead in Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — A 47-year-old newspaper owner was leading in early vote counting and appeared likely to defeat the widow of a former military leader in Sunday’s presidential election in Honduras.

With about one-fourth of votes counted, Carlos Flores had 53% to 38% for Nora Gunera de Melgar. Three other parties’ candidates split the remaining vote.

An exit poll broadcast by the national Televicentro network showed Flores with a 55%-40% advantage in the capital, Tegucigalpa, and a 60%-35% lead in the country’s second-largest city, San Pedro Sula. The nation’s largest radio network, HRM, said its nationwide exit poll of 1,601 people showed Flores with 54% of the vote to 38% for Gunera de Melgar.

The exit polls, which gave no margin of error, also indicated that Flores’ ruling Liberal Party had a strong lead in congressional races.

When the new president starts a four-year term on Jan. 27, it will be Honduras’ fifth consecutive transfer of power between civilians.

In all, 2.9 million Hondurans were registered to vote in Sunday’s election for president, 128 members of the one-house National Assembly and 297 mayors--all the elected officials in Honduras. Turnout appeared to be running at about 75%.