“450 deputies voted in rounded numbers. [uma proposta de emenda constitucional a favor do voto impresso] yesterday [terça-feira]… Shared: 229 [a favor], 218 [contra]… This is a sign that half do not 100% believe that TSE is working correctly. They do not believe that the outcome there is ultimately credible, ”Bolsonaro told his supporters in Brasilia today.
We are talking about a vote held on Tuesday evening, during which the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil rejected a bill providing for the introduction of print voting in the country.
The bill was presented as a constitutional amendment and would therefore require the approval of at least three-fifths of the members of the Chamber of Deputies, that is, 308 out of 513 parliamentarians. By the decision of the plenary meeting, the proposal will be submitted.
Following the failure of a proposal widely defended by Bolsonaro, the head of state again questioned the results of the Brazilian elections without providing any evidence.
“We are signaling the elections, not that they are divided, but that the election results will not be trusted,” added Bolsonaro, who in recent months has reiterated his opposition to the e-voting system that has been operating in the country for two decades and has fueled theories about alleged electoral fraud – unsubstantiated – that could happen and that could happen again if printed voting results did not materialize.
Jair Bolsonaro also explains the failure of the project as a result of the print vote by fears of “retaliation” and “blackmail”.
“In addition to the left-wing parties, among those who voted against, many anxious voted and decided to vote with the president of TSE. [Luís Roberto Barroso, crítico do voto impresso]… Those who abstained from the online voting (…) were also worried about retaliation, ”Bolsonaro said as he left the Palacio da Alvorada, his official residence.
“I would like to thank half of the parliament that voted for the print vote. Part of the other half who voted against, I understand that they voted by blackmail, ”he added.
Without quoting directly from former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro said the rejection of the print vote was aimed at “deceiving the person who was recently in charge of the executive branch and what happened was a shame.”
The head of state said the printed voting system contributes to the fraud that he said took place in previous elections, including those that brought him to power in 2018. However, Bolsonaro still does not provide evidence of his charges.
In this regard, TSE opened an administrative case against the president and demanded that he be examined by the Supreme Court on charges of infringement of democracy and the disclosure of false information.
Bolsonaro’s pressure to vote in print media has intensified as his popularity plummeted in election polls in which Lula da Silva, his biggest opponent, was voted the favorite for 2022.
