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Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro speaks in Brasília on Oct. 25 (local time) after the vote count in the presidential runoff election. / AFP, Yonhap

Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost the country's presidential runoff election, said he would not accept the results, citing disruptions on election day, and indicated that he would pursue legal action.

According to The New York Times (NYT) and other media outlets, Bolsonaro said at a press conference after the vote count, "I cannot accept the election results," adding, "We will seek to have this election annulled."

In particular, he criticized the decision to extend polling hours as "changing the rules in the middle of the game," saying, "There are many issues that must be clarified before Brazil accepts the irregularities that occurred during this election."

Bolsonaro argued that the fairness of the election had been compromised because Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, who ordered the extension of voting hours, had previously served as President Lula's lawyer. He also claimed that the abrupt decision caused confusion, resulting in different closing times at polling stations.

Election law expert and attorney Alberto Rollo told CNN Brasil that "Bolsonaro will use the legal system to prolong the dispute," while predicting that the issues raised were unlikely to overturn the election results.

Earlier, Kassio Nunes Marques, president of Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE), reportedly discussed with TSE members the possibility of lawsuits being filed with the TSE and the Supreme Federal Court following the election, and they concluded that unfounded lawsuits should not be accepted.

                                                                                                             Kim Hyun-min