Lula and Bolsonaro seek each other's disqualification days before Brazil runoff
Both presidential campaigns have moved to disqualify their rivals days before the October 25 runoff — Lula's camp targeting Flavio Bolsonaro over alleged Meta election interference, and Bolsonaro's team filing to annul Lula's candidacy over WhatsApp propaganda claims.
Brazil’s presidential rivals are seeking to disqualify each other days before Sunday’s runoff, trading accusations of social media interference, according to court filings and campaign officials.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s campaign said on Tuesday it will ask the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) on Wednesday to disqualify right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro over alleged election interference by Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. The petition, yet to be officially filed, alleges “algorithmic manipulation” by Meta aimed at harming Lula’s chances, a campaign source told AFP. The plan was first revealed on Monday by newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.
Bolsonaro’s campaign struck back on Tuesday with its own formal TSE filing, seen by AFP, accusing Lula of “abuse of power” in the mass dissemination of government postings via WhatsApp during the campaign. The request seeks to declare Lula and Social Communications Minister Sidonio Palmeira ineligible to hold public office for eight years.
The court gave Meta 24 hours on Monday to prove it was complying with an equal-treatment order, threatening a daily fine of around $200,000. Meta said on Tuesday it had completed the measures. The company denies favouring either side but admitted some of Lula’s ads were mistakenly deactivated by technical errors.
Flavio Bolsonaro won the first round earlier this month with 47 percent of the vote to Lula’s 45 percent; polls show a technical tie ahead of the runoff.
Sources: Al Jazeera; AFP via Free Malaysia Today; SCMP.
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