CNN
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Outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has submitted a petition to Brazilian election officials formally challenging the results of this year’s hotly contested presidential election.
Last month, Bolsonaro was narrowly defeated in the run-off by his left-wing rival Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, known as “Lula”, who is due to take office on January 1.
Since then, Bolsonaro has not come so far as to explicitly admit defeat, but previously said he would “continue to fulfill all the precepts of the constitution” and observers said he would cooperate with the transfer of power. I believe.
But in a petition filed Tuesday, Bolsonaro and his right-wing Liberal Party leader said some voting machines were out of order and that votes cast through them should be voided. claims that
Citing analysis conducted by a company hired by Bolsonaro’s party, the complaint argues that canceling those votes would result in a victory for Bolsonaro.
In response to Bolsonaro’s petition, election officials said the same voting machines were used in the first round of the election, so Bolsonaro and his party filed a complaint to include those results in order for the process to pass the courts. Affiliate CNN Brazil said it needed to be fixed.
Supreme Electoral Court Chief Alexandre Moraes gave Bolsonaro and his petitioners 24 hours to amend their submissions.
But on Wednesday, Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party called for limiting the scope of the vote to a second-round vote.
Liberal Party officials also held a press conference to reinforce claims that some of the ballots used in the election’s second round could be erroneous, but insisted they had no intention of contesting the results. did.
“We’re not going to stop someone from taking office, it’s just that they follow the law. If there’s any indication [of error]we cannot take into account this vote,” said Liberal Party leader Valdemar Costa Neto.
“We’re not asking for new elections. It’s crazy,” he added.
Last month’s heated elections came amid a tense and polarized political climate in Brazil, which is plagued by high inflation, limited growth and rising poverty.
Lulada Silva received more than 60 million votes, according to the final tally of the electoral authorities, the most in Brazil’s history and a personal best since 2006.
