No clear leader entering today's presidential poll

TEGUCIGALPA (AP):The last thing Honduras needs is a presidential election that's a draw.

This country already is plagued by drug violence, poverty, corruption and the legacy of a 2009 coup. Now, if polls are accurate, today's vote could fail to produce a clear winner.

The election pits Xiomara Castro, whose husband Manuel Zelaya was overthrown in a military-backed coup, against Juan Orlando Hernandez, the candidate of the ruling conservative National Party.

Polls show the two in a statistical tie, ominous in this failing state with 8.5 million and the world's highest homicide rate.

"We'll accept the results if they're clean. If they're not, the people have the right to defend their vote," said Enrique Reina, Castro's campaign coordinator.

CONTINGENCY PLAN

Castro's party says it has a contingency plan if it suspects fraud, though it won't say what.

And while Hernandez has vowed to respect the results, analysts say a close vote could bring chaos.

Even if the election is fair and transparent it will be difficult to convince supporters of the losing candidate that it wasn't stolen, said Eric Farnsworth, vice-president of the Council of the Americas.

"You need someone or some people to stand up and be statesmen. And I'm not sure who would do that in the Honduran context, truthfully."

United States Ambassador Lisa Kubiske has called on both candidates to wait for official results to declare victory, a process that could take several days.

The latest poll puts Hernandez at 28 per cent and Castro at 27, with 30 per cent divided among six other candidates in an election with no run-off.