Buenos Aires, Dec 24 (NA) — The government of Argentina, along with Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, issued a joint statement on Wednesday to congratulate Nasry “Tito” Asfura on his victory in the Honduran presidential elections. “With his government, to be inaugurated next January 27, we hope to work together on the issues that unite us as brotherly countries, particularly trade, security, migration, and the strengthening of democracy in the region,” the signatory countries stated. They also highlighted the “civic responsibility shown by the citizenry in exercising their suffrage and the patience with which they awaited the final scrutiny, exhibiting a commendable commitment to peace and to institutionalism.” “Similarly, we salute the work carried out by the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) of the Organization of American States (OAS), as well as that deployed by the European Union, who were present continuously during the sensitive post-voting stage. Their accompaniment, along with that of national observers, contributed to a thorough and impartial review of the process, providing clarity to the citizenry regarding the legitimacy of the results.” They also warned that they had taken “note” of the “performance of the National Electoral Council (CNE) in the face of the pressures that arose during the last month, highlighting the responsibility of its personnel throughout the national territory and the leadership demonstrated by the councilors in the fulfillment of their mandate.” The government of Argentina and seven other countries released a joint statement congratulating the winning candidate and expressing hope for a peaceful transfer of power. They emphasized the importance of cooperation on trade, security, and migration, and praised the work of observers and civil society for their commitment to democratic processes. The countries also called for a peaceful and orderly transition of power, expressing solidarity with the people of Honduras.
