I am not afraid of elections. I give the flag to whoever wins an auditable and reliable vote. In this way (the current method, without printed ballot papers), we risk not having elections next year,” Bolsonaro told his supporters on Friday.
The ex-military man wants to print the e-voting, which the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) disagrees with and regrets the president’s comments.
For the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, any action to prevent elections would violate the constitution and lead to “abandonment of duties”.
A proposal for a constitutional amendment to this effect, authored by Representative Pia Kissis, an ally of the former army chief, is being processed in the House of Representatives.
According to Bolsonaro, the voting system, which uses computers to record votes, is vulnerable to electoral fraud and demands the use of paper ballots only.
‘This is my last word on it. There will be printed ballot papers, because if there are no printed ballot papers, this is a sign that there will be no elections. The message is clear,” the head of state predicted.
In this regard, Pacheco, without nominally referring to Bolsonaro, commented: “Everything that is speculated about the decline of democracy, such as frustration with the upcoming elections in 2022, is something that the National Convention sees, plus it is not. Well, deny it, of course.
He indicated that we will not admit any kind of setback in this regard, and stressed that the elections are not negotiable.
According to the president of the Congress, the constitution must be preserved “at all costs” and democracy in Brazil is “established and absorbed” by society and “anyone who wants any retreat from the democratic rule of law will be identified by the people and history as the enemy of the nation.”
Bolsonaro’s popularity has risen in recent polls for next year’s election fair.
However, former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva’s intention to vote has been strengthened since he regained his political rights in March after a Federal Supreme Court judge overturned all his sentences.
jha / ocs