Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a ceremony at the Ministry of Citizenship, in Brasilia, Brazil, Aug 2, 2021. (ERALDO PERES / AP)

Brazil’s lower house rejected Jair Bolsonaro’s bid to change the country’s voting system, likely escalating political tensions after he argued that failing to do so would allow the 2022 election to be stolen from him.

The president’s proposal would require a paper printout of each vote electronically cast. As a constitutional amendment, it needed backing by 308 of the 513 deputies, but the government received just 229 votes. By falling short, the constitutional amendment will be shelved.

“The lower house has given a democratic answer to this matter, and I hope it’s definitely buried,” Speaker Arthur Lira said in announcing the result. 

Alarm bells are ringing in Brasilia after President Jair Bolsonaro suggested that, without paper receipts that could be manually counted, he may not accept the outcome of the election or perhaps not even hold it next year, as mandated by the constitution

Undeterred, Bolsonaro’s allies will look to convince the Senate to take up comparable legislation in the upper chamber. “We still have a chance to fight in the Senate, because there’s a bill with similar content there,” congressman Vitor Hugo, an ally of the president, said during the voting.

Alarm bells are ringing in Brasilia after the far-right leader suggested that, without paper receipts that could be manually counted, he may not accept the outcome of the election or perhaps not even hold it next year, as mandated by the constitution. 

An unusual parade of military tanks rolling through the streets of the capital added to the sense of unease, with many politicians describing it as an attempt by the president to intimidate them.

The parade was organized by the navy to invite Bolsonaro and his defense minister to participate in a traditional military exercise that takes place next week. 

It was the first time, however, that the invitation was delivered with a display of military power in Brasilia. The navy said in a statement it had long planned the event and that it had no relation with votes being carried out in congress.

Armored vehicles and tanks drive past the Planalto Palace during a military parade in Brasilia, Brazil, on Aug 10, 2021. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

An unusual parade of military tanks rolling through the streets of the capital added to the sense of unease, with many politicians describing it as an attempt by the president to intimidate them

Yet the event angered lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum. “It’s a pathetic scene, an attack on democracy,” said Senator Omar Aziz, who presides over the congressional committee investigating the government’s handling of the pandemic.

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Even Speaker Lira, a key ally of Bolsonaro, disapproved. In a polarized country such as Brazil, he said, the incident creates speculation that congress may be under some sort of pressure.

Relentless attack

Brazil’s electronic ballots shifted into the spotlight in recent weeks as Bolsonaro, facing a sharp drop in popularity amid a vaccine-purchasing scandal, launched a relentless attack on their credibility. 

He has repeatedly claimed, without presenting proof, that the system that has been in use in the country for the past two decades - and through which he was elected - is vulnerable to cheating and hacking.

In a report released Tuesday, the Brazilian Audit Court said that there are already several safety mechanisms in the current system that allow the voting process and the tallying of the ballots to be audited.

Bolsonaro has been sowing doubt about the integrity of both the country’s voting system and the electoral authority and the strategy has stirred fears that he may be laying the groundwork to challenge the result of next year’s election, should he lose

Following in the footsteps of former US president Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has been sowing doubt about the integrity of both the country’s voting system and the electoral authority.

The strategy has stirred fears that he may be laying the groundwork to challenge the result of next year’s election, should he lose.

His rhetoric has pushed the country to the brink of an institutional crisis. Last week the Supreme Court’s chief justice canceled plans for a meeting with Bolsonaro and the heads of congress, saying the president seeks to “complicate, frustrate or impede the electoral process.”

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Bolsonaro’s focus on the paper-vote issue has also deflected attention from his administration’s erratic handling of the pandemic. An ongoing congressional inquiry is probing allegations of a kickback scheme in the government’s purchase of vaccines, which the president has denied having any knowledge of.

“We must recognize the results when they are favorable and when they are contrary -- that’s from democracy,” Lira said after the bill was defeated. “It would be best if President Bolsonaro looked at it that way.”