Lula Da Silva Wins Brazil’s Presidential Election

Brazilian leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has narrowly defeated President Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff election on Sunday.

However, far right incumbent did not concede defeat on Sunday night, raising concerns that he might contest the result.

The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) declared Lula the next president, with 50.9% of votes against 49.1% for Bolsonaro. The 77-year-old Lula’s inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 1.

It was a stunning comeback for the leftist former president and a punishing blow to Bolsonaro, the first Brazilian incumbent to lose a presidential election.

“So far, Bolsonaro has not called me to recognize my victory, and I don’t know if he will call or if he will recognize my victory,” Lula told tens of thousands of jubilant supporters celebrating his win on Sao Paulo’s Paulista Ave.

A source in the Bolsonaro campaign disclosed that the president would not make public remarks until Monday. The Bolsonaro campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Bolsonaro last year openly discussed refusing to accept the results of the vote, making baseless claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud.