(Brasilia) Very moved, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva burst into tears on Monday after receiving certification of his election for a third term as President of Brazil, before his inauguration on 1er January.
“Much more than the presentation of the certificate of president-designate, it is the celebration of true democracy”, declared Lula, 77, between two sobs, during the official ceremony at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), in Brasilia .
PHOTO EVARISTO SA, FRANCE PRESS AGENCY
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
The former trade unionist, who already governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010, defeated in the second round, on October 30, the outgoing far-right head of state Jair Bolsonaro, who continued to criticize before the election. the system of electronic ballot boxes in force since 1996 and has never explicitly acknowledged its defeat.
“Few times in the recent history of our country has democracy been so threatened,” Lula said in his speech, after receiving his certificate from the hands of the president of the TSE, Alexandre de Moraes.
At the start of his speech, the president-elect had to stop for long seconds, overwhelmed with emotion.
Acclaimed by the authorities present, the former turner-miller notably recalled the certification of his first election to the presidency, at the end of 2002, when the Brazilian people had had the “audacity” to choose an ex-worker to occupy the supreme position. .
PHOTO TON MOLINA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Supporters of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva were gathered outside the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) in Brasilia.
“I don’t have a university degree, my first certificate is that of president of this country,” said Lula at the time, moved to tears like 20 years later.
The delivery of this certificate officially ends the electoral process.
Alexandre de Moraes, who was the target of numerous attacks by Bolsonarists ahead of the election, welcomed the fact that electoral justice had “know how to guarantee democratic stability, combating intense and criminal attacks against the pillars of our Constitution”. .
After the defeat of Jair Bolsonaro, his supporters demonstrated by the thousands for days in front of army barracks, demanding military intervention to prevent Lula’s return to power.
On Friday, the far-right president spoke for the first time after 40 days of silence and said the defeat had made him “soul ache”. He never congratulated Lula on his victory, but only authorized the process of power transition.