EU Ambassador to Brazil, Ignacio JapaneseShe called on all participants, on Friday, to respect the results of the upcoming October elections in the country, as well as the institutions responsible for organizing the elections.
“For us it is very important to respect democratic institutions” And that “the result must be respected,” Ybáñez declared in a remote interview with EFE.
Brazil will go to the polls on October 2 to elect a president and governors and renew legislative bodies.
The ambassador stated that he sees “Very big polarization” in the presidential racewhose first candidate was former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, followed at a distance by current President Jair Bolsonaro.
“We, as observers, want the elections to be held in the best possible environment, where everyone logically respects the institutions, especially electoral institutions”He expressed.
In recent months, Bolsonaro has cast doubt on the legitimacy of the e-voting system that Brazil has used since 1996 and has drawn harsh criticism against the conduct of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which oversees elections in the country.
According to demographic polls, Lula holds a significant advantage over Bolsonaro and could even win the election in the first round. The latest poll released by the Datafolha Institute for the progressive candidate showed 47% of voting intentions, compared to 28% for the Army Reserve chief.
“Brazil is a strategic partner of the European Union, and therefore, what happens in the elections will be very important in our relationship”noted Ybáñez, who also hopes that there will be strong participation of women and indigenous peoples in the electoral competition.
On Friday, the ambassador participated in the 19th International Conference on Security of Copacabana Castle, which in the past two days brought together European and American experts in Rio de Janeiro on the topic “Threats without borders: are we able to deal with the challenges?” .
With information from EFE
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