After his election defeat on Sunday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro initially went into hiding. Now he speaks publicly for the first time. He owes an explicit acknowledgment of his opponent Lula's election victory. His head of cabinet added that the transfer of office was authorized.
After his defeat in the elections in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro agreed to hand over power. Bolsonaro has authorized him to initiate the process of changing government in accordance with the law, said his chief of cabinet, Ciro Nogueira. However, the so-called transition is regulated by law anyway, and approval by the outgoing government is not required.
Bolsonaro had previously spoken publicly for the first time since his defeat on Sunday, but without expressly acknowledging the victory of his challenger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He will "respect" the constitution, he announced to journalists in the capital, Brasilia.
"I want to thank the 58 million Brazilians who voted for me on October 30," Bolsonaro said. "As President and as a citizen, I will continue to fulfill all the requirements of our Constitution." Lula received 50.9 percent of the vote in the runoff on Sunday, Bolsonaro got 49.1 percent.
He also mentioned his supporters who have blocked numerous highways across the country in recent days. "The current demonstrations are the result of outrage and a sense of injustice at the way the electoral process was conducted," Bolsonaro said. "Peaceful demonstrations will always be welcome."
Bolsonaro ducked after his left-leaning rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's victory on Sunday, fueling fears he would not acknowledge his defeat. Bolsonaro had repeatedly expressed doubts about the electoral system before the vote.
