BRAZIL: Brazil's President luiz Inacio Lula faces run-off vote after elections

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva must contest a run-off after a string of corruption scandals turned many voters against the former factory worker in Sunday's (October 1) presidential election. The country's electoral court said Lula just failed to garner the 50 percent of votes needed to be re-elected in the first round. The run-off against his main rival Geraldo Alckmin will take place on Oct. 29. "We confirm that final results will be announced tomorrow, that is, later today as it's already October 2nd," stated the President of the Electoral Court, Marco Aurelio Mello. The second round could unite the opposition against Lula and give them more time to dig up further evidence of campaign wrongdoing by Lula's Workers' Party. The tight contest marked a dramatic shift in the last few days. Earlier polls showed that Lula, a former union leader from a humble background, had been coasting to an outright victory over a field of seven challengers, bolstered by the support of the poor and workers whose lives have improved under his first four years in office. But revelations two weeks ago that his campaign staff tried to buy information for a smear campaign against presidential candidate Gerardo Alckmin gave his opponents new political ammunition. It all reignited memories of bribery and vote-buying scandals in the past two years which have cost Lula's chief of staff, his finance minister and other aides their jobs. "I'd like to thank those who voted for us, those who supported us. I received from Brazilians an enormous demonstration of trust and I'm headed to second round with great chances of winning," said Alckim after the Electoral Court confirmed the second round. Lula said as he voted in the industrial suburb of Sao Bernardo do Campo that he was confident he would win in the first round. But aides told Reuters he spent most of the afternoon huddled with advisors plotting second round strategy. The vote seemed to turn on whether public disgust over the political sleaze would be outweighed by his support among the poor and workers in this country of 185 million people, who still adore him as one of their own.

ITN Source | October 2, 2006

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