MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

TSE dismisses cases against Bolsonaro

Tuesday's rulings did not alter Bolsonaro's 8-year disenfranchisement

Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Tuesday dismissed three election abuse cases against former President Jair Bolsonaro, Agencia Brasil reported. In June, the former head of state was disenfranchised for eight years.

The TSE rejected three lawsuits in which Bolsonaro was accused of abusing his political power during the 2022 election campaign. In the third case, the PT and PSOL coalitions questioned Bolsonaro's holding of a meeting with governors and country singers between October 3 and 6 to announce their political support for the runoff. By a majority vote, the court held that, despite the electoral conduct, the meeting was not enough to characterize abuse of political power.

The TSE also acquitted Bolsonaro in two other lawsuits dealing with lives broadcast during the elections. The second case dealt with a live broadcast made on August 21, 2022, inside the Alvorada Palace library, to present electoral proposals and ask for votes for candidates supported by Bolsonaro. Most judges understood that, despite the live broadcast, the former president's conduct was not serious enough to constitute abuse of political power, because a TSE injunction prevented any further broadcasts along the same lines. General Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro's vice-presidential running mate, was also acquitted. The Electoral Court also acquitted Bolsonaro when judging the first action against the former president.

During Tuesday's trial, the court began discussing whether to allow candidates seeking re-election in 2024 at a municipal level to use the structure of official residences for broadcasts or if the matter should include a set of rules and guidelines such as a neutral background and the banning of the involvement of other civil servants and public resources. There was no consensus and the discussion will be resumed Thursday.

In June, Bolsonaro was declared ineligible for eight years for abuse of political power and misuse of the media. Bolsonaro held a meeting with ambassadors in July last year at the Alvorada Palace, where he attacked the electronic voting system. Braga Netto was acquitted because he did not take part in that meeting.

Last week, lawyer Tarcísio Vieira de Carvalho, representing Bolsonaro, insisted the broadcasts were made through Bolsonaro's private networks.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)