Bolsanaro insisted that he would continue to strive for “order and progress”, the words emblazoned on Brazil’s flag…reports Asian Lite News
Supporters of outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro held rallies to call for a military intervention following the election of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a move that military experts say is out of the question, media reported.
Following his defeat, Bolsonaro finally broke his silence and thanked voters who voted for him, but did not acknowledge his loss.
In Sunday’s election, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was banned from standing for office after being convicted in a fraud case, received more than 60 million votes, or 50.89 per cent of the ballots, surpassing Bolsonaro’s 58 million votes, or 49.11 per cent.
This was the smallest margin in a runoff election in Brazil’s history.
In the first round held on October 2, Lula garnered 48.3 per cent of the vote, compared to 43.2 per cent for Bolsonaro.
In a brief statement on Tuesday, the outgoing leader said that “our dreams continue as alive as ever”, reports the BBC.
Bolsanaro insisted that he would continue to strive for “order and progress”, the words emblazoned on Brazil’s flag.
Directly addressing his supporters who have erected hundreds of roadblocks in all but two states of Brazil, Bolsonaro referred to them as “current popular movements” and said they were “the fruit of indignation and a sense of injustice of how the electoral process unfolded”.
He added that “peaceful demonstrations” would always be welcome, but that “our methods can’t be the same as those used by the left, which always harmed the population, such as invasion of lands, disrespecting property and impeding the right to come and go”.
In his short address that lasted only two minutes, he did not mention Lula at all, the BBC reported.
Despite Bolsonaro is yet to concede hs defeat, Brazil’s Supreme Court released a statement shortly after his speech saying that by authorising the transition of power, he had recognised the result of the election.
Lula picks running mate
President-elect Lula has appointed his running mate Geraldo Alckmin to head the transition team coordinating the handover of power with the current government of Jair Bolsonaro.
“Our priority will be the budget issue, to keep the Auxilio Brasil (Help Brazil) welfare plan running and raise the minimum wage,” Gleisi Hoffmann, head of the Workers’ Party, told reporters in Sao Paulo Tuesday.
In keeping with Lula’s instructions, the transition team will also include the President of the Workers’ Party and coordinator of the government programme, former minister and economist Aloizio Mercadante, reports Xinhua news agency.
The transition process is mandated by law and does not depend on the political acceptance of the election outcome.
Bolsonaro’s transition team will be headed by his chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, leader of the Progressive Party, which is part of the “Centrao” forces comprising the majority bloc in Congress.
The transition teams will be headquartered at the Banco do Brasil Cultural Centre in Brasilia for November and December.
“Vice President(-elect) Alckmin has the legitimacy and political capacity to carry this process forward,” Hoffmann said.
Alckmin, of the Brazilian Socialist Party, is a conservative who served four terms as governor of the southeast state of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s richest and most populous state.
Vice President Hamilton Mourao of the current government called Alckmin to acknowledge the ruling party’s defeat and pledged to work together to complete the transition.
