The final TV debate in Brazil’s presidential election was halted due to judicial intervention

(Central News Agency reporter Tang Yaling's special report from Sao Paulo on the 2nd) Brazil's presidential election is approaching, but the last TV debate originally scheduled to be held on the evening of the 1st local time was suddenly stopped due to temporary judicial intervention, triggering a strong backlash from the political and media circles. This move not only disrupts the candidates' final sprint, but also highlights the tension between the judiciary and media freedom.

Brazilian news website G1 and other media reported that Brazil’s Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) and Supreme Court (STF) ordered one after another hours before the debate to modify established rules. TSE judge Estela Aranha banned the television station from placing an empty podium to symbolize the absent candidate, which directly affected the Labor Party candidate and current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Subsequently, STF Justice Gilmar Mendes ruled that the minor party candidate Renan Santos must be included in the debate. Globo said that a series of judicial decisions had caused "legal uncertainty" and had to announce the cancellation of the debate.

Many candidates expressed dissatisfaction with this. Conservative Bolsonaro’s son and candidate Flavio. Flávio Bolsonaro bluntly said that this is "the highest point of judicial politicization" and is tantamount to "censorship." New Party candidate Romeu Zema criticized the judiciary for "favoring specific candidates." Other candidates described debates as the "oxygen" of democracy and that canceling them would be tantamount to depriving voters of the opportunity to compare political opinions.

Brazil's major press and publishing associations, including the National Association of Newspapers (ANJ), the Association of Radio and Television (ABERT) and the Association of Magazine Editors (ANER), issued a rare joint statement, accusing the judiciary of "excessive intervention" and tantamount to infringing on press freedom. They emphasized that the debate rules had long been signed by all political parties and the media, and temporary changes not only undermined the process, but also deprived citizens of their right to know.

All three major Brazilian newspapers criticized the judicial action in editorials. O Globo bluntly stated that "without press freedom, there is no debate"; Folha de S. Paulo believed that judicial intervention "undermined the neutrality of the election"; São Paulo state newspaper (Estadão) even accused the judiciary of forming a "power to assist Lula's re-election" and severely criticized the judiciary for intervening in democracy "with pens instead of votes".

Analysts believe that the Brazilian election has caused controversy. The judiciary and the media play key roles in the democratic system. If the boundaries between them are blurred, the integrity of the election may be questioned. The Brazilian case reminds all countries that maintaining press freedom and judicial neutrality can ensure that voters obtain sufficient information and make independent choices before voting.

The first round of voting in Brazil's presidential election will be held on October 4. The report pointed out that the cancellation of this debate deprived Brazilian voters of their last opportunity to directly compare the candidates’ political opinions before voting, and also caused the international community to once again focus on the resilience and challenges of the democratic system. (Editor: Wei Shu)