SOP has been followed as the latter’s voters now accuse the winning side of ‘manipulation’. More in line with Latin American tradition, however, many of them want military intervention so that Brazil doesn’t ‘fall under the hands of communists’.
Sore losing in any field is an art by itself. But in politics, it can be a performance art of the highest ‘low’ order. In India, ever since EVMs became de rigueur, the very real ballot-stuffing of the past was no longer a kosher accusation.
So, EVM manipulation became the thing. While that reaction to defeat has become more rare, it stands to reason that demands for recounts will gain ground.
They have the advantage of still being ‘according to the rulebook’ while keeping hopes alive and at the same time providing the satisfaction of calling the winner a cheat more directly. World leaders quickly congratulated Lula for his win – essentially to give legitimacy to the victory. But, then, world leaders, including in the US, can be such ‘communists’.