Milei not sure he would concede defeat

Wednesday, November 8th 2023 - 10:41 UTC

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“The one who counts the votes is the one who controls everything,” Milei insisted

Argentina’s opposition candidate Javier Milei said in a TV interview with Peruvian anchor Jaime Bayly that he was not sure he would accept defeat at the Nov. 19 runoff against Economy Minister Sergio Massa.

Milei also questioned the results of the Oct. 22 general elections because - he argued - “they were not clean.”

There were demonstrations in downtown Buenos Aires and other parts of the country by groups announcing their support should Milei decide not to abide by the results to be announced by electoral authorities late on Nov. 19 or early Nov. 20, in addition to appeals on social media to take the streets and defend democracy from allegedly fraudulent practices.

Milei's libertarians intend to mimic the “electoral fraud” cry of former Presidents Donald Trump (United States) and Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil). This sparked criticism from former President Mauricio Macri and PRO Chairwoman Patricia Bullrich, who had announced they would vote for Milei after the Oct. 22 results.

Milei told Bayly that “the October 22 elections were not clean” and insisted “there were irregularities of such a size that put the result in doubt.”

“If we are not in a position to take care of the votes properly, then we would not be election winners. If I have to go to solve an election at a desk, it means I didn't do it right,” Milei went on.

“You can't accept it, but what other alternatives do you have?” said Milei. “The electoral power is very much influenced by the political power, the one who counts the votes is the one who controls everything,” Milei insisted.

“If the one who controls the votes is Máximo Kirchner and La Cámpora, how can we accept in good faith a result?” Bayly asked Milei.