Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Tuesday that he had asked the country’s highest electoral authority to authorise the disclosure of his banking, tax and telephone records covering the past eight years, challenging presidential rival Flávio Bolsonaro to take the same step.
Lula described the move as an effort to defend his personal honour and demonstrate transparency ahead of Brazil’s presidential runoff election scheduled for October 25.
According to the filing submitted to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and the Supreme Federal Court, the proposed disclosure would extend beyond the president’s personal records.
It would also cover financial and communications information relating to First Lady Janja, the couple’s five children and companies associated with the family.
However, the proposed waiver is conditional on Flávio Bolsonaro agreeing to an equivalent disclosure of his own records.
Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, did not immediately accept the challenge.
The development comes during the final days of a closely contested presidential campaign, with both candidates seeking to strengthen their positions before the decisive second round.
Neither Lula nor Bolsonaro secured the more than 50% of valid votes required for an outright victory in the first round of voting on October 4.
The October 25 runoff will determine Brazil’s next president, with the dispute over financial transparency adding another dimension to the contest.