The final televised debate scheduled before the first round of Brazil’s presidential election was cancelled after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declined to take part, followed by the withdrawal of opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro hours before it was due to begin in Rio de Janeiro, denying 158 million voters the chance to watch the leading candidates face each other directly.
TV Globo cancels final debate
TV Globo, the country’s most widely watched broadcaster, had planned to hold the debate on Thursday evening, providing the final opportunity for a public confrontation between the leading candidates before polling stations opened on Sunday. Its cancellation marked the first time in 20 years that the leading contenders in a Brazilian presidential election had refused to take part in any public debate.
Since 23 August, other media organisations and business groups had held debates featuring other candidates. Lula announced on Wednesday that he would not attend the TV Globo debate, which was due to bring him together with Bolsonaro and two other candidates. Hours before the event was due to begin, Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, also announced his withdrawal.
Court rulings disrupt debate arrangements
The broadcaster said in a statement that the debate was cancelled after two court rulings, one issued by the country’s electoral court and the other by Brazil’s Supreme Court, created a state of ‘legal uncertainty’ around the organisation of the event. The first ruling ordered the broadcaster to remove an empty seat reserved for President Lula, which was intended to be the subject of questions from the rival candidates attending.
The second ruling forced it to invite candidate Renan Santos, a critic of the president and one of the leading opposition candidates. Analysts believe Lula and Bolsonaro adopted a strategy of avoiding a direct on-stage confrontation before the first round.
The two candidates could face each other during the three weeks before the run-off scheduled for 25 October, if the first round produces a need for one.
