Conservative opposition candidate Porfirio Lobo has won Honduras' presidential election in a vote that has put the United States at odds with leftist governments in Latin America.
Mr Lobo, a rich landowner, had over 55 per cent support with more than half the votes counted and his closest rival, Elvin Santos of the ruling Liberal Party, then conceded defeat.
The election could calm a five-month crisis which was sparked when the Honduran army overthrew President Manuel Zelaya in June and flew him into exile.
But while Washington looks likely to recognise yesterday's vote, rulers of Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela and other Latin American countries say the election is invalid because it was backed by the coup leaders and could end any hope of Mr Zelaya returning to power.
The division puts in danger President Barack Obama's attempts to turn a new page with Latin America where memories of military coups supported by the United States during the Cold War are still fresh.
As the partial election results were announced after long delays that officials put down to technical problems, some 300 supporters of Mr Lobo's National Party waved flags and danced in a victory celebration at a hotel in the capital.
Soldiers grabbed Mr Zelaya from his home on June 28th and threw him out of the country, sparking Central America's biggest political crisis since the end of the Cold War.
Neither Mr Zelaya nor his rival Roberto Micheletti, installed as interim president by Congress after Mr Zelaya's overthrow, took part in the race.
Mr Lobo yesterday vowed to end Honduras' isolation from countries like Brazil and international organizations such as the Organisation of American States, or OAS, which have frozen Honduras out in retaliation for the coup.
"We are prepared to approach them and ask them to understand that there is a government which was elected, that it is the precise will of Hondurans at the ballot box, that it is a democracy and we should all respect the leadership of countries," he said.
Reuters