Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro has vowed to challenge the outcome of the country’s presidential runoff election after losing to incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, saying his legal team will seek to have the results annulled.
Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party (PL) candidate, made the announcement late Sunday after Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) declared Lula the winner. He questioned the fairness of a last-minute decision by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to extend voting hours nationwide.
“We will engage our legal team and seek to have these elections annulled,” Bolsonaro told supporters. He accused the court of changing electoral rules arbitrarily, alleging that its actions favoured Lula.
Bolsonaro Questions Court’s Voting-Hour Decision
The senator directed much of his criticism at STF Justice Cristiano Zanin, who ordered polling hours to be extended until 7 pm Brasília time.
According to the report, the decision followed emergency petitions over transport blockades and severe weather that could affect voters’ access to polling stations.
Bolsonaro also questioned Zanin’s involvement in the case, pointing to his previous role as Lula’s personal defence lawyer before his appointment to the Supreme Court.
However, Bolsonaro’s objections remain allegations, and any legal challenge will depend on the relevant electoral authorities and courts.
Lula Wins Narrow Presidential Runoff
Lula secured 51.76 per cent of the valid votes, receiving more than 60 million ballots. Bolsonaro finished with 48.24 per cent, according to the reported results.
The contest followed a closely fought first round on October 4, when Bolsonaro reportedly received 47 per cent of the vote, compared with Lula’s 45 per cent.
Lula’s reported comeback made him the first Brazilian presidential candidate to overcome a first-round deficit since the country adopted its two-round electoral system in 1989.
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Legal Battle Expected Over Election Results
The planned petition could lead to a legal dispute in Brasília as electoral authorities prepare to certify the final results.
Bolsonaro’s campaign has yet to establish that the voting-hour extension affected the outcome or provides sufficient grounds to annul the election. The courts will determine whether the challenge meets the legal requirements.
The dispute now places the election process and the court’s decision under further scrutiny as Brazil awaits the formal conclusion of the electoral process.