Bolsonaro’s electoral abuse on Independence Day challenged in court

The center-left Democratic Labor Party (PDT) issued a request to the Superior Electoral Court today to remove President Jair Bolsonaro from the 2022 electoral race on the grounds of violating electoral law during Brazil’s independence bicentennial celebrations on Wednesday.

In their lawsuit, attorneys representing the PDT highlight that the president explicitly solicited votes during the September 7 celebration, and the event was paid for by the public purse.

“We know that we have a struggle of good against evil ahead of us […] The people are on our side, the people are on the side of good, the people know what they want. The will of the people will present itself on October 2 [Election Day]. Let’s vote. Let’s convince those who think differently from us,” Mr. Bolsonaro told supporters gathered in Brasília.

The PDT adds that the Independence Day celebrations in Brasília alone were expected to cost at least BRL 3.3 million (USD 630,000), according to a receipt published in Brazil’s Federal Gazette.

“As a public demonstration intended to praise a historical landmark for the country, the event could not have been transformed into an electoral platform, funded with public money,” the party wrote.

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday opened a civil inquiry hoping to stop the Bolsonaro administration from using Independence Day celebrations as partisan rallies. Both the Defense Ministry and the president’s communications office were warned not to allow the demonstrations to be used for electoral purposes. 

The requests were ignored and Mr. Bolsonaro and allies used it as a campaign platform.

On Thursday, Congress held a special sitting to commemorate Brazil’s independence bicentennial. The event was attended by Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco, House Speaker Arthur Lira, and Chief Justice Luiz Fux. None attended yesterday’s parade with Mr. Bolsonaro.

The president, in turn, canceled his appearance at today’s ceremony.

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