Brazil electoral body drops talks to bring EU observers for upcoming polls

Brazil's electoral authority said Tuesday that the European Union won't be monitoring upcoming elections in Latin America's largest country despite an earlier announcement it had invited the European representatives.

The electoral court said in a statement that all the necessary conditions were not present to enable a comprehensive electoral observation mission, which requires the visit of dozens of technicians ahead of the October vote.

Last month, the court announced that for the first time it had invited EU representatives to observe a hotly anticipated election expected to feature President Jair Bolsonaro facing off against his political nemesis, former President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro, who will seek a second term, has repeatedly claimed that the country's electronic voting system is unreliable, but never provided any evidence.

In its statement, the court said a smaller and purely technical commission from the EU might still be invited in coming months.

Other groups that have previously observed Brazilian elections will be coming back, the court said, including the Organisation of American States and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

It also invited the Carter Centre, among others.