Bolsonaro refuses to concede, says he will seek annulment of Brazil vote

Brazilian Senator Flavio ​Bolsonaro said ‌on Sunday he would not ​concede ​defeat to President Luiz ⁠Inacio Lula ​da Silva, ​who secured a fourth non-consecutive term, ​and would ​seek the annulment of ‌the ⁠runoff election.

Bolsonaro said a ruling by ​Supreme ​Court ⁠Justice Cristiano Zanin ​extending voting ​for ⁠two hours was “unacceptable”.

Bolsonaro has followed his imprisoned father’s lead by refusing to concede defeat to leftist ‌President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won a historic fourth term in Sunday’s presidential election.

Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, called into question a late-Sunday decision by a Lula-appointed Supreme Court justice that extended voting by two hours over alleged voter transport irregularities. He said ​he would ask for the result to be annulled.

“It is impossible to recognize the election results, given the ​circumstances under which things unfolded,” Bolsonaro told journalists.

Yet the scale of the loss, with Bolsonaro trailing ⁠Lula by over 4 million votes, makes it unlikely his efforts to annul the vote will succeed, analysts said. His ​petition is also undermined by the fact that his campaign also sought a voting extension due to heavy rains in the ​conservative-leaning south.

Still, Bolsonaro’s refusal to concede could spark a wave of protests in a country where faith in the electoral system, and in judicial independence, has been strained in recent years, observers say.

Jair Bolsonaro plunged Brazil into a deep democratic crisis after the election in 2022, when ​his supporters stormed government buildings in protest against the result. He later received a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup.

LULA ​DEFIES EXPECTATIONS

Lula’s victory defied polls, precedent and global anti-incumbent sentiment to put the brakes on a wave of right-wing election victories across Latin ‌America. ⁠The result will disappoint the administration of US President Donald Trump, whose State Department led a campaign to return the Bolsonaros to power.

Financial markets also expressed initial concerns at the shock result. A Tokyo-listed exchange-traded fund tracking Brazil’s Bovespa indexdived nearly 15% in Asia trade on news of Lula’s victory, while analysts expected the Brazilian real to fall against the US dollar.

Lula ​had trailed Bolsonaro in the ​first round, but managed to ⁠convince voters to come out for him in the runoff.

Speaking at a hotel in São Paulo late on Sunday, he took a conciliatory tone.

“I won’t speak of national unity, because that ​doesn’t always fit the reality of this country. No one is obliged to like ​the elected president, ⁠but he was put in place to govern for everyone,” Lula said.

‘COUNTLESS’ CHALLENGES

During the campaign, Lula pointed to his track record of cutting poverty and inequality while also highlighting record low unemployment, illiteracy and deforestation, but his fourth term may prove challenging.

He will have ⁠to ​work alongside a Congress packed full of Bolsonaro allies after a surge of ​right-wing voting recast Brazil’s legislature in favor of the president’s enemies.

“The challenges are countless,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper in São ​Paulo.

World leaders hailed the victory of Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s presidential election runoff, as he ​defeated right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro to secure a fourth non-consecutive term.

Here are ‌some reactions:

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY:

“The relationship between Canada and Brazil has flourished under our partnership.

“Let’s seize this opportunity to make it even stronger, together — to create major new trade opportunities, protect ​the environment, and build greater prosperity for both our peoples.”

PERUVIAN PRESIDENT KEIKO ​FUJIMORI:

“I congratulate President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva … and salute the ⁠Brazilian people for this democratic day.”

ECUADOREAN PRESIDENT DANIEL NOBOA

“Our region has common enemies, ​shared challenges, and much to gain when we work together.”

CHILEAN PRESIDENT JOSE ANTONIO KAST:

“I ​just spoke with the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

“Chile and Brazil have a lot of shared future ahead, and we will continue working on an agenda that strengthens relations ​between our countries in economic integration and the fight against organized crime in the ​region.”

MEXICAN PRESIDENT CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM:

“Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won.”

PARAGUAYAN PRESIDENT SANTIAGO PENA:

“I salute the ‌Brazilian ⁠people for this great democratic journey.

“Paraguay and Brazil share a common agenda of integration and development. We will continue working together for the well-being of our people.”

URUGUAYAN PRESIDENT YAMANDU ORSI:

“I just spoke with the president-elect of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, ​a friend.

“I congratulated ​him on the ⁠victory and on the democratic celebration that an electoral process represents.”

BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT RODRIGO PAZ:

“Bolivia and Brazil are neighboring and brother countries, ​united by a shared history and common challenges.

“We will continue working ​together to ⁠strengthen our relationship and generate more opportunities for our nations.”

CUBAN PRESIDENT MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL:

“…This historic victory ensures the continuity of the path of peace, sovereignty, and social justice embarked ⁠upon by ​the Brazilian people under your leadership.”

PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT JOSE ​RAUL MULINO:

“I congratulate the Brazilian people for this democratic day and especially President Lula for the victory! We ​will continue working together for our countries.”

Source:  Reuters