Brazil Speaker appeals for political calm, says paper ballot debate closed

Brazil's Lower House Speaker Arthur Lira stands in the elevator as he arrives at the National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's lower house Speaker Arthur Lira said on Wednesday that the country has no room for "radicalism" and should focus on the coronavirus pandemic and high unemployment, an apparent reference to attacks by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro on the Supreme Court.

Lira did not name Bolsonaro, but said discussion of a paper voting receipt sought by the president for upcoming elections was a closed matter.