Brazil: Bolsonaro goes to electoral court challenging Lula’s election victory

The outgoing president of Brazil Zach Bolsonaro challenged his defeat by Luis Inácio Lula da Silva in last month’s runoff as he appealed to the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) claiming that votes from some electronic voting machines should be annulled.

Bolsonaro’s appeal considered unlikely to be luckyas his victory Lula in the presidential elections it has been endorsed by the TSE and has been recognized by leading politicians in Brazil and by heads of state abroad. However, it could fuel a protest movement that remains loyal to Bolsonaro, refusing to recognize the election result.

Associates of Bolsonaro, who filed the lawsuit, argued that an audit of the vote-counting process found signs of irreparable damage to antiquated electronic voting machines.

“There were indications of serious damage that raised uncertainties and make it impossible to validate the results obtained” from some outdated models of electronic voting machines, said Bolsonaro associates who called for the “cancellation” of votes from those models.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly questioned the reliability of the electronic voting systemwithout presenting documentary evidence.

In the wake of questioning the election result, Brazil’s national currency fell 1.5% against the US dollar in afternoon trading, according to the Athens News Agency.