(CNN) — Outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has filed a petition with Brazil’s electoral authorities to formally challenge the results of this year’s hotly contested presidential election.
Bolsonaro narrowly lost in the runoff last month to his leftist rival. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvapopularly known as “Lula”, who will take office as president on January 1.
Since then, Bolsonaro he has not explicitly acknowledged his defeatbut previously said he would “continue to comply with all the commandments of the constitution,” leading observers to believe he would cooperate with the transfer of power.
But in the petition filed Tuesday, Bolsonaro and the leader of his right-wing Liberal Party allege that some voting machines malfunctioned and any votes cast through them should be annulled.
Citing an analysis carried out by a company hired by Bolsonaro’s party, the complaint states that eliminating those votes would give the current president victory.
In response to Bolsonaro’s request, electoral authorities said that since the same voting machines were used in the first round of the elections, Bolsonaro and his party must modify their complaint to include those results in order for the process to reach to the courts, reported CNN Brazil.
Alexandre Moraes, president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, gave Bolsonaro and his petitioners 24 hours to modify their submission.
The heated elections last month came amid a tense and polarized political climate in Brazil, which has been battling high inflation, limited growth and rising poverty.
Lula da Silva received more than 60 million votes, according to the electoral authority’s final tally, the most in Brazilian history and breaking his own record from 2006.