Barroso admits for the first time that the 2020 elections are threatened.
"If it were up to me, nothing would be changed because elections are a vital rite for democracy. Therefore, the ideal would be for us to be able to hold the elections. However, there is a real, and at this point undeniable, risk that we may have to postpone them," he said.
Sputnik - Supreme Court Justice Luís Roberto Barroso said this Friday (1st) that holding municipal elections in Brazil this year is at "real risk" due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At the end of May, the judge will replace Rosa Weber as president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). In a live virtual event broadcast by the Brazilian Association of Magistrates (AMB), the Supreme Federal Court (STF) minister stated that, if it were up to him, "nothing would be changed," but that the election could be postponed.
"If it were up to me, nothing would be changed because elections are a vital rite for democracy. Therefore, the ideal would be for us to be able to hold the elections. However, there is a real, and at this point undeniable, risk that we may have to postpone them," said Barroso, according to the G1 news portal.
The first round of elections, which will elect mayors and city council members, is scheduled for October 4th, while the second round, if necessary, is scheduled for October 25th. Changing the voting date requires Congressional approval.
'Maximum until December'
According to Barroso, if the election has to be postponed, it would have to take place "within a few weeks, at the latest by December, so there is no risk of having to extend mandates."
The future president of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) said he is against the idea of holding the municipal elections only in 2022, along with the national elections. This proposal would extend the terms of current mayors and councilors by two years.
"I am totally against this possibility. Democracy is made up of periodic elections and alternation of power," he stated. Furthermore, he argued that "an excess of candidates would also compromise the quality of the vote, making it difficult to make a conscious choice."