More than 38 hours have passed since Brazil learned the final result of the second round of elections. A dispute that gave the winner to former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (50.9 percent of the votes) over the current president Jair Bolsonaro (49.1 percent).
Since then, the current Brazilian president has remained silent on the electoral result, becoming, according to local newspapers, the presidential candidate who has taken the longest time to admit defeat and to recognize the results of the votes.
(Also read: Brazil: Lula da Silva will assume the presidency with the challenge of reuniting the country)
According to the newspaper O Globo, it is the first time since 1998 that a candidate has avoided making public statements after learning the official results of the vote count.
In 1998, for example, Lula was the defeated candidate and acknowledged Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s victory in an interview. Later, in 2002, the candidate José Serrá called Lula to congratulate him on his victory after 9:00 p.m. and only moments after the result was known.
Serrá once again recognized Dilma Rousseff’s victory in 2010, one hour after the official result. And in 2018, Fernando Haddad did not call Bolsonaro, but acknowledged on Twitter the victory of the right-wing leader.
A) Yes, Bolsonaro broke the unwritten protocol of speaking or communicating with the opponent at night, or at the latest the next day, to recognize the result. Why has he done it and what does his silence imply?
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What is known about Bolsonaro’s silence?
Bolsonaro has not been seen in public since the morning of Sunday, October 29, when he cast his vote in Rio de Janeiro.
And it is that after knowing the result, The president has confined himself to his official residence in Alvorada, in Brasilia. In the morning hours of Monday and Tuesday, he went to the Planalto Palace without giving any kind of statement.
On his social networks, specifically on Twitter, his last publication dates back to October 29, completing three days of absolute silence on the electoral process.
But according to O Globo, allies of the current president expect him to make an official statement on the result towards the end of this Tuesday.
Press versions also indicate that Bolsonaro will not oppose the change of government but that he will rule in the next few hours on some objections he has against the electoral process and the electoral authorities.
(Also: Bolsonaro’s silence keeps Brazil in suspense after the elections)
What can happen if Bolsonaro does not speak out?
And it is that the pressure for Bolsonaro to issue a comment also has to do with the need to undertake the process of joining Bolsonaro and the future president Lula da Silva.
The transition of Government is foreseen in the Brazilian legislation and foresees that the president in office and the elect appoint working teams within a period of 48 hours to coordinate the process and guarantee the transfer of data and information.
According to the newspaper El País, after the proclamation of the results, a two-month period opens in which the outgoing government must deliver information and provide assistance to the outgoing president’s team.
Thus, in the norm, Bolsonaro is obliged to leave power even if he does not pronounce himself. But what he could do is hinder the process of supplying information to the new government team.
(Keep reading: Road blockades grow throughout Brazil after the victory of Lula da Silva)
In this regard, Lula already expressed his concern about the transfer of power during his victory speech: “I need to know if the president we defeated is going to allow a transition so that we have information on things.”
However, despite Bolsonaro’s silence, the Minister of the Presidency of Brazil, Ciro Nogueira, has already contacted spokesmen for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s campaign to announce his willingness to start the transition process between the two governments.
Nogueira’s initiative was announced by the communication coordinator of the Workers’ Party (PT) campaign, Edinho Silva, in a statement released 24 hours after the progressive leader was proclaimed the winner of Sunday’s presidential elections in Brazil.
“I maintained contact this Monday afternoon with the Minister of the Presidency, Ciro Nogueira, at his request, and he immediately set out to lead the transition process representing the current Bolsonaro government,” said Silva, mayor of the city of Araraquara. and important collaborator of Lula, in a statement.
(Also: Brazil: what will be the main challenges for Lula da Silva in the presidency?)
I need to know if the president we defeated is going to allow a transition
The Vice President of the Republic, Reserve General Hamilton Mourao, also took a step to facilitate the transition.
According to spokesmen for the PT campaign, Mourao contacted the elected vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, to make himself available for the joint work and even offer him a visit to the Jaburu Palace, the residence of the vice presidents.
In any case, deputy Gleisi Hoffmann, president of the Workers’ Party (PT), the party led by Lula, stated that if there is no pronouncement from the president within 48 hours, they will unilaterally initiate the transition process.
The truth is the president’s silence has triggered a strong protest by groups of truckers who block streets across the country and, according to videos released on social networks by leaders of that rebellion, they will only end the protest when “the Army intervenes” to “prevent communism from returning.”
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