Brazil's Bolsonaro wins presidential run-off

RIO DE JANEIRO - 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.