“Bolsonaro Can’t be Blamed” Says Brazil´s VP on Allies’ Local Election Defeats
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Vice-President Hamilton Mourão downplayed the defeat of candidates endorsed by President Jair Bolsonaro in the municipal elections, and noted that the traditional center parties were the “big winners” of the election.
“Nothing can be charged to President Bolsonaro because he didn’t run in this election. He supported a few candidates, very few, but the President is without a party. Without a party structure it is difficult to take part in an election,” said the Vice-President.
Despite Mourão’s statement, Bolsonaro openly supported and campaigned for 45 city council candidates in several cities across the country. Of that total, at least 33 failed to be elected on Sunday, November 15th.
In addition to these, the President called for votes for 13 candidates for Mayor, only two of whom were elected, both from cities in the interior of Brazil -Mão Santa (DEM – Democrats), in Parnaíba, Piauí, and Gustavo Nunes (PSL – Social Liberal Party), in Ipatinga (MG).
In São Paulo, Celso Russomanno (Republicanos) lost in the first round. Of the two largest capitals, Bolsonaro only saw his Rio de Janeiro candidate, Marcelo Crivella (Republicanos), move on to the second round run-off election.
Backed by the President in the off-year campaign for the Senate in Mato Grosso, Coronel Fernanda (Patriotas) also lost.
In addition to these, several other candidates across the country tried to associate their name with the President’s, but the majority of Bolsonarists finished in the last positions.
According to Mourão, the election marked the victory of “better known” politicians at the polls.
“So far, I haven’t taken a closer look, the traditional center parties were the big winners. For the time being that’s it,” assessed the Vice-President.
Mourão also refuted a downfall of the conservative movement that marked the 2018 elections. “They are the center parties (the victors), the vast majority of them are conservatives,” he said.
The Vice-President further commented on the delays in releasing the results and ascribed it to a “little problem” in the counting process model.
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