Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro waves to his supporters as he leaves a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 28, 2018. Right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro won Brazil's presidential run-off on Sunday. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party won the country's presidential run-off on Sunday, according to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
At a press conference, TSE President Rosa Weber announced that with 99.99 percent of the ballot boxes counted, Bolsonaro won 55.13 percent of the valid votes, compared with 44.87 percent for his rival Fernando Haddad of the left-leaning Workers' Party.
The elections proceeded with "absolute normality," said Weber, who thanked an observer mission from the Organization of American States led by Costa Rican former President Laura Chinchilla, and other electoral authorities.
She also recognized the work of the media, saying "without a free press, there is no democracy."
Antonio Dias Toffoli, president of the Supreme Federal Court, hailed on the same occasion the substantial turnout at the polls.
"In spite of being en election that divided society, divided families and divided friends ... the Brazilian nation peacefully went to the polls and participated once again in the renewal of the democracy," said Toffoli.
In a videotaped message posted on Facebook from his residence in Rio de Janeiro, Bolsonaro pledged to deliver on every promise made during his campaign, saying "all of the commitments made will be fulfilled."
"We ran a campaign that was different from the others," the former military captain said.
Bolsonaro, 63, said he planned to govern "following the teachings of God, alongside the Brazilian constitution and with good technical advice, without political leanings."
"We are going to change Brazil's destiny," he said.
Meanwhile, in his concession speech, Haddad pledged to continue to fight for "national sovereignty and democracy" in Brazil, saying that Bolsonaro's win jeopardized basic freedoms.
"What is at stake are civil, labor and social rights. We have the huge task of defending them," said Haddad.
With some 21 percent abstention, nearly 10 percent of the votes were either left blank or nullified, according to the TSE.
"Perhaps never before" has it been so necessary for the Brazilians to exercise their rights as citizens to defend democratic institutions, said Haddad.
Following the release of the official results, Brazilian President Michel Temer congratulated Bolsonaro in a telephone call, saying that Bolsonaro's government would be marked by "peace and harmony."
"I firmly believe, as the president-elect was able to declare, that he will make a government of much peace and harmony, which is what our country most needs," said Temer.
"He very much thanked the phone call and said he will continue to work towards pacification," Temer told reporters at his residence.
The transition of power will begin on Monday at the cultural center of the Bank of Brazil, which is close to the presidential headquarters in Brasilia, said Temer.
