Election in Brazil: Lula wins wins against Bolsonaro

Runoff election in Brazil

Lula wins – opponent does not recognize election

The runoff election to determine the next president in Brazil has been decided. Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the election by a narrow margin.

In the runoff election for the presidency Brazil Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva prevailed against his challenger Flávio Bolsonaro and secured a fourth term in office. According to the electoral court, the left-wing head of state received 51.75 percent of the vote in Sunday’s vote over Bolsonaro, the son of the former right-wing extremist president Jair Bolsonaro48.25 percent of the votes were lost. The election in Latin America’s largest economics was considered a directional decision.

Lula has also described his election victory as a vote on democracy. Brazilians voted to “secure democracy,” Lula said on Sunday. The re-elected head of state also promised better regulation of large tech platforms such as Meta. Shortly afterwards, the defeated Bolsonaro spoke up. He does not recognize Lula’s victory and wants to have the election in Brazil “cancelled,” reports AFP.

Around 159 million Brazilians in Latin America’s largest country were asked to decide between the left-wing incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the right-wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

The race between the two politicians was considered extremely close. In polls before the election, they were almost neck and neck. In the first round of voting, Flávio Bolsonaro had around 47 percent of the valid votes, ahead of Lula with 45 percent.

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The 80-year-old Lula from the left-wing workers’ party PT was running for a fourth term in office. He relies on social programs, government investments and the continuation of his government course. Flávio Bolsonaro from the right-wing Liberal Party (PL) promotes conservative positions and a tougher approach to crime.

Judge Cristiano Zanin of the Supreme Court (STF) had extended voting by two hours until 7pm local time (11pm CET) due to reported problems with public transport affecting voters. The order applied nationwide. The counting that had already begun was initially interrupted after the decision.

Lula’s electoral alliance had requested the extension, citing difficulties with bus connections and public transport in several states. Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign team also called for more time for voting in parts of Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, where heavy rains, floods and power outages are said to have disrupted the election process.

A dispute over local public transport in Salvador in the state of Bahia also caused a stir. According to the news portal “G1”, at least 75 buses were initially not allowed to leave their depots. The regional electoral court ordered the arrest of the city’s mobility secretary, Pablo Souza, for an alleged electoral offense. The city administration said there had been a dispute over stickers with the number of Lula’s workers’ party, PT, on the buses.