Election officials and senior politicians have criticized the Brazilian president, Jair BolsonaroAfter the far-right leader summoned foreign diplomats to the presidential palace and made baseless allegations about the fairness of the upcoming elections.
Bolsonaro told them the electronic voting system in Brazil, which has been used without controversy since 1996, has been weak. The comments raised fears that the populist politician – facing poor voting results – could try to discredit the democratic process if he loses in October.
The baseless allegations were refuted by Brazil’s Supreme Electoral Court, the body that oversees elections.
TSE released a list of 20 denials of Bolsonaro’s comments that the chief justice, Edson Fachin, described as “unacceptable electoral denial”.
“It’s time to say enough of this misinformation,” Fachin said. “It’s also time to say no to authoritarian populism.”
The Senate president also dismissed Bolsonaro’s allegations, saying there was “no reason or just reason” to question the effectiveness of the electoral process.
“The National Congress, the current composition of which was elected under the modern electoral system, is obligated to assure the population that electronic ballot boxes will give the state an honest representation of the wishes of the people, whatever they may be,” said Rodrigo Pacheco.
Bolsonaro’s decision to ramp up criticism in front of a foreign audience may be related to his poor performance in the polls.
Most give former president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva a double lead, and his supporters are even optimistic that he might win the first round and avoid a run-off.
The first round takes place on October 2, and a possible rerun is scheduled for October 30.
Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, previously questioned the credibility of electronic ballot boxes even after he easily won in 2018, and later tried to pass a law requiring a return to paper ballots.
This attempt was ruled unconstitutional in 2020 and Another try To include ballot papers alongside electronic votes, Congress refused a year later.
His address to diplomats on Monday included attacks on judges and Supreme Electoral Court officials who will be tasked with verifying election results not only for the presidential election but also for Congress and 27 state governors.
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The title also focused on the 2018 investigation into an attempt to hack the electoral system. An official investigation concluded that there were no risks to the screening process or results.
Bolsonaro limited media access to his 30-minute speech at Planalto, the presidential palace. However, it was broadcast live on state television, leading some opposition MPs to claim that they would bring it to court due to improper use of government resources.
It is unfortunate that Brazil does not have a leader more interested in problems such as jobs, development and hunger, Lula said. “Instead, he is lying about our democracy,” Lula chirp.
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