Lula wins fourth term in Brazil election after losing first round

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term at the expense of his right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro, according to BBC News Arabic. Lula received 51.79 percent of the vote, becoming the first president since Brazil's return to civilian rule in 1985 to be elected after losing in the first round.

To his celebrated supporters, Lula expressed that his victory represented a defeat for negativity and lies, and called for democracy. Former President Jair Bolsonaro's convicted son, Flavio Bolsonaro, declined. Acknowledge the result so far, and demand its cancellation. The source pointed out that his position was not surprising, as his father had previously taken a similar position.

Flavio's appeal is likely to be unsuccessful, centering mainly on Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin's decision to extend nationwide voting by two hours. Some Bolsonaro supporters see Zanin as a former lawyer for Lula, and allege bias on his part. The source pointed out that the two camps had requested an extension of the voting time for various reasons.

The President of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Casio Núñez Marquez, confirmed Lula's victory, noting that the extension of the voting period did not change the result of the race. The large difference between the candidates, 4.4 million votes, makes it difficult to challenge the result.

In the reactions, US President Donald Trump said, according to the source, that the election appeared to be fraudulent without providing evidence. In turn, a number of world leaders congratulated Lula. Among them are Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, French President Emmanuel Macron and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Lula is preparing for a term that begins on January 5 and runs until 2030, under a divided and adversary country that refuses to recognize the result and a parliament dominated by Bolsonaro's allies. The São Paulo Stock Exchange opened down 15 percent before stocks recovered slightly.

Source: BBC News Arabic - https://www.bbc.com/arabic/articles/cmj47znkje1jo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss