CNN
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More than a day after Luis Inacio Lula da Silva was declared the winner of Brazil’s 2022 presidential election, incumbent Jair Bolsonaro has yet to publicly admit his defeat.
The president’s delay in admitting in Sunday’s elections has contributed to fears that he will not cooperate with the transfer of power amid scattered protests by his supporters. and some of his supporters made unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud and media mistreatment.
Lula da Silva told supporters on Sunday night, “A losing president would have called me and admitted, wherever he was in the world,” and said of the transfer of power, “some are happy.” And some were worried,” he explained.
“He hasn’t called yet. I don’t know if he will, I don’t know if he will concede,” he said.
But whether it’s a public concession or not, experts say it’s getting out of hand for the outgoing president.
It is the Supreme Electoral Court of Brazil that officially verifies the election results and notifies the Senate, the House of Representatives and the state legislatures.
A spokesperson for the Electoral Court told CNN that the results of the vote were already considered valid since the court declared the results on Sunday. , he said, that date has not yet been set.
Electoral Court President Alexandre Demorais on Sunday personally called both Lula da Silva and Bolsonaro to inform them of the results and congratulate them on their participation in the democratic process, according to a court press release.
Demorais also said there was not much room for the election to be contested. “Results will be declared, accepted, and those elected will take office on January 1,” he said in a release.
Brazilian Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco has already officially congratulated Lula da Silva and his supporters.
Foreign leaders around the world were also quick to voice their support for Lula da Silva’s victory.
After the vote, U.S. President Joe Biden said, “Congratulations to Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on being elected as the next President of Brazil in a free, fair and credible election.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent his congratulations in a message reported by Russian state news agency TASS, adding: “The results of the vote confirm your high political authority.”
The president-elect’s diplomatic campaign is already underway, and Lula da Silva met with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez (one of the first foreign leaders to congratulate him) in Sao Paulo on Monday.
On at least two occasions in the past, Brazil’s leaders have refused to participate in regime change.
When the Brazilian Republic was founded in the late 19th century, Marshal Floriano Peixoto did not attend the inauguration of his successor, Prudente de Morais.
And almost a century later, the last unelected military president, João Batista Figueiredo, ignored the inauguration of his successor, José Cerney.
In both cases, the boycott was largely symbolic. According to legal expert Augusto de Arruda Botelho, the same could be said even if Bolsonaro refused to cede the presidency in a public statement.
“Non-acknowledgment is not a starter from a political standpoint, because at the end of the day, it’s the electoral court that hands power over to the winner of an election,” he told CNN.
“[Bolsonaro] You can kick and scream as much as you want,” he added.
Moreover, political scientist Camila Rocha said that for Bolsonaro, what looks like sport is politically profitable.
Rocha’s research shows that refusing to concede damages Bolsonaro’s public image among his own supporters. “Even the most extreme pro-Bolsonaro supporters are saying that if Bolsonaro loses, we have to accept the consequences,” she told CNN.
“It is therefore very clear that Bolsonaro’s refusal to accept Lula’s victory could have a negative impact even among his supporters. will.”
Nonetheless, pro-Bolsonaro truckers and other supporters have blocked roads and highways since Sunday evening, causing significant delays and disruptions in at least 19 states across the country, said affiliates. CNN Brazil reports.
States such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Minas Gerais and Amazonas have suffered disruptions so far.
A CNN crew said access to Sao Paulo International Airport was interrupted as nearly 100 protesters blocked the highway leading to the airport. A crew member said some people got out of the taxi and walked along the side of the highway to the terminal. Few cars stopped outside Terminal 3 of the airport, suggesting most were caught in the lockdown.
Sao Paulo International Airport notified passengers to check the status of the fight in a tweet pointing out that access to the airport terminals may be difficult due to the protests. Many flights have been delayed, according to an airline agent who told CNN. told CNN.
Some police officers on the road to the airport told CNN they were trying to avoid confrontation for fear of upsetting protesters.
Some protesters made it clear they did not believe the election results.
Bolsonaro supporter Luis Vallejo said: “There were presidents who won at the ballot box and they cheated the ballot box and put other candidates in front. We are against it.” Told.
Another Jurandir Santos said that even if Bolsonaro accepted the result, “people won’t accept it.”
Bolsonaro’s son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, thanked his father’s supporters Monday afternoon and urged them not to “give up” in the first public comments by members of Bolsonaro’s inner circle since his election defeat. .
“To everyone who helped us save patriotism, prayed, prayed, took to the streets, sweated for a functioning country, and gave Bolsonaro the biggest vote of his life. Thank you! Keep your head up and let’s not give up on Brazil!” he wrote.
“God is in charge!” he added.
