International observers sent to Brazil by the OAS (Organization of American States) praised the election process in the country last weekend and emphasized the “order” and “normality” of the operation.
In a preliminary report, the group of 55 observers dismissed suspicion of manipulation of results or lack of transparency, an argument used by Bolsonarist groups.
Led by former Paraguayan foreign minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, the team nonetheless noted the “high tension and polarization” context of the country’s elections. But he insisted the society was showing signs of “maturity and civic commitment”.
“Elections are taking place sequentially and normally,” observers said. TSE for the group was “professional”. On election day, 222 observers were at the polls.
However, the team, which will return to the country for the second round of the election, urged the main actors of the process to give up polarization and personal attacks. For them, the focus should be on seeking discussion on a project for the country.
The OAS highlighted how Brazil has reformed the electoral process, taking into account the proposals made by past missions. Therefore, the group “recognized the continued efforts of Brazilian institutions to improve the electoral system.”
One of the elements that could be improved according to the OAS is the issue of embargo on certain nominations. On election day, more than 700 candidates were awaiting a court decision on the validity of their campaigns. If the system guarantees an election, observers point out that it will have to adapt to the election schedule.
electronic voting machine
Observers acknowledged that there was “an intense debate over electronic voting machines” on election eve.
The conclusion, however, was that the TSE has “implemented a series of measures to continue to strengthen the transparency and security of the electoral process, opening up new spaces for different institutions and national actors to know and control the systems implemented by Electoral Justice”.
“On September 8, 2021, the TSE for the first time created an Election Transparency Commission (CTE) composed of representatives from different institutions, including the Federal Court of Audit (TCU), the National Congress, the Federal Police, the Attorney General’s Office, the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), and the Armed Forces. Federal Council,” he said.
To continue to increase the transparency of the elections, the CTE has proposed 44 measures, 32 of which are fully or partially met, 11 to be studied further in the next election cycle and 1 rejected.
The OAS also notes that the TSE has “expanded the scope of the Integrity Test from 100 to 641 ballot boxes, in line with recommendations issued by previous OAS Missions.”
Little time for polarization and project discussion
The issue of increasing levels of polarization during the 2022 election process was also noted. Observers regret that, due to this context, “less time and space has been devoted to discussions on the programmatic proposals of the various parties during the election campaign. Candidates”
“Moreover, many actors and organizations contacted by the Mission expressed their concerns about the violence that occurred both among candidates and among voters during the election process. Violence is unacceptable,” the report said.
The OAS warns that disinformation is also a hallmark of the election. For them, the spread of fake news “still remains a problem”.
long lines
Using the data from the TSE, the delegation stated that only 0.76% of the total 476,075 ballot boxes installed on the country’s territory should be replaced, and that five departments use the manual voting mechanism.
However, observers drew attention to the long lines formed on Sunday. “The mission found that in some polling stations, during biometric identification, there were difficulties in reading the fingerprints of some voters, especially the elderly. Four attempts to recognize fingerprints. This caused a certain delay in some cases. Despite the fact that the presidents open the ballot with your fingerprints at the ballot box after proving the identity of the person on the ballot, according to the predetermined procedures, it was stated.
“In the afternoon, long queues of voters formed in 91 percent of the polls observed, some of whom reported waiting more than two hours to vote,” the report said. “Still, the Mission noted that the journey went smoothly and no major incidents were recorded,” he said.
The organization also emphasizes that “there are situations where all voters are required to sign the voting book, this provision is only created for those who do not have biometric data, or where fingerprints cannot be verified”. contributes to queues and reported long waits”.
According to information released by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security around 18:00, 1,188 electoral offenses were registered, of which 312 were related to exiting the ballot box, 163 to vote-buying or election fraud, 57 to (or attempt) breach of secrecy10 votes and 21 cases of irregular voter transfer.
data transfer
The outsiders did not mention any doubts or doubts regarding the data transfer of each of the surveys. OAS observers reported that this process was carried out safely, by monitoring the transfer of memories (recording media) to transfer points.
“In this step, they also observed that in some cases, the people in charge of the transmission were waiting for all sections to be closed to communicate the results of their polls,” they noted.
“OAS technicians from TSE’s collection room have confirmed that the flow and consolidation of results has always worked properly. On the other hand, the Mission welcomes TSE’s decision to publish ballot papers, a practice that has been implemented since this election,” observers say.
While praising the election, observers once again regret that women will continue to be markedly underrepresented in the country’s main political decision-making areas. “The data released by TSE shows that when the process is completed, only 2 of the 27 state governments will be in the hands of women. As for the Senate, only 4 of the 27 seats in question will be candidates in these elections. They are occupied by women,” he added.
source: Noticias
