Jair Bolsonaro vows to follow constitution, stops short of formally conceding Brazil election
- The president gave his first speech after losing a closely fought election, but did not mention rival Lula da Silva
- He did, however, ask for the end of violent demonstrations, and a top aide said Bolsonaro had authorised him to begin the transition process
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro vowed to respect the constitution and while stopping short of formally conceding, authorised the government to start the political transition after his loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
“As president and a citizen, I’ll continue to follow our constitution,” Bolsonaro said on Tuesday at the official residence in Brasilia, in which he also called for violent demonstrations that have taken place in the last day to be suspended, describing them as “leftist methods”.
Bolsonaro departed immediately after his brief speech, which did not mention his opponent or formally accept the loss.
It was up to his Chief of Staff Ciro Nogueira to concede, saying the president authorised him to begin the transition process. Nogueira added that they will wait for the incoming administration to formalise Vice-President-elect Geraldo Alckmin as head of the proceedings to begin works.
The recognition by the right-wing leader often compared to Donald Trump is a major step in ensuring a peaceful transition in Latin America’s largest economy. Lula, 77, won Sunday’s election by about 2 million votes, or less than 2 percentage points – the narrowest margin in Brazil’s history.
The country has been on a knifes’ edge since.
While congress leaders, global figures like US President Joe Biden and many of Bolsonaro’s key government allies were quick to congratulate the challenger, the conservative president remained out of the public eye.
Meanwhile, truck drivers led some of his staunchest supporters in blocking major roadways, snarling traffic around the capital Brasilia and other major cities like Sao Paulo to protest against the result.
During his four years in power, Bolsonaro, 67, repeatedly cast doubt on Brazil’s electronic voting system, claiming that it could be rigged against him.
The accusations fuelled concern at home and abroad of a contested result and unrest akin to the January 6 riots in the US Capitol.
Brazil’s stocks and its currency rallied on Tuesday on signs that the administration was preparing for an orderly transfer of power despite Bolsonaro’s delaying his concession.
The race was the most bitterly fought contest of the nation’s nearly four-decade old democracy, pitting a one-time army captain and pro-business populist against Lula, a two-term former president from Brazil’s left.
