Brazil’s Liberal Party accepted President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s reelection while Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro pledged to coordinate congressional opposition, a dispute that could shape how much room Lula has to pursue his agenda.
Superior Electoral Court (TSE) President Kassio Nunes Marques announced that Lula received 64,256,232 votes, or 51.79% of valid ballots, in the Oct. 25 runoff. Bolsonaro received 59,826,041 votes, or 48.21%. The result follows an earlier dispute over extended voting hours.
On Sunday, Bolsonaro said he would challenge the result over the extension. Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered voting hours extended after both presidential campaigns raised concerns about voter transportation, the STF said. TSE President Nunes Marques said the extension did not change Lula’s victory.
In a video posted Monday, Bolsonaro said he would coordinate elected lawmakers and senators to oppose Lula’s agenda during the next term. A statement signed by Liberal Party president Valdemar Costa Neto accepted the result but questioned what it described as increased public spending on social benefits shortly before the vote. The statement said the questions should be clarified through political debate.
The congressional contest could affect Lula’s ability to advance policy. Reuters reported that the Liberal Party and allied parties are expected to control both chambers, and described the incoming legislature as Brazil’s most conservative since democratic rule resumed in the 1980s. Lula’s aides have signaled plans to seek cuts to tax breaks, while lawmakers have opposed measures that raise the effective tax burden, as EconoTimes previously reported.
Brazil’s electoral calendar sets Dec. 18 as the deadline for formally certifying elected candidates.
