Bolsonaro welcomes OAS electoral observation mission
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro welcomed the members of the Organization of American States (OAS) mission that will observe the elections in Brazil. The team is headed by former Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano.
“Our mission is one of observation, respecting Brazil’s institutions and promoting the participation of Brazilian citizens in the election,” Lezcano said after the meeting at the Planalto presidential palace on Monday (Sep 26).
The delegation’s engagements, he reported, includes meetings with presidential hopefuls and representatives from political parties and government institutions such as the Superior Electoral Court and organizations, as well as local observers. The outcome of these meetings, in addition to what was directly observed and the assessment of the regulations, will be disclosed by the OAS in a preliminary report with remarks and recommendations regarding the elections in Brazil.
Made up of 55 experts and observers from 17 nations, the mission will be active in the Federal District as well as 15 states across Brazil. On election day, members of the mission will also observe the vote in three cities abroad: Porto, in Portugal; and Miami and Washington, in the US.
The group includes specialists who should monitor different aspects of the elections—including technology and electoral organization, voting overseas, electoral justice, political financing, campaigning and freedom of expression, the political participation of women, the participation of indigenous and people of African descent, and electoral violence.
This is the third occasion on which the OAS sends a mission to watch the elections in Brazil. The first round of this year’s elections will be held next Sunday, October 2, and the second on October 30. This time, Brazilians will choose their president, state governors, senators, as well as federal, state, and district representatives.
