Brazil: Lula, Bolsonaro to face off in presidential runoff
Brazil’s presidential race is set for a second round on October 30, after two top presidential candidates did not secure the votes necessary to claim an outright victory.
With nearly all votes counted, results showed former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva receiving 48.4 per cent support, compared to 43.2 per cent for president candidate Jair Bolsonaro.
The 76-year-old da Silva told reporters he wanted to win “every election in the first round,” but that wasn’t always possible.
He stayed optimistic although Bolsonaro outperformed forecasts saying he looked forward to a debate with his rival.
“We’re going to keep fighting until the final victory,” Lula da Silva told supporters.
“We beat the lie. Now the campaign is ours… I’m completely confident. We have a lot of positive accomplishments to show, ” Bolsonaro said.
Several public opinion studies had shown da Silva leading the far-right Bolsonaro by 10 to 15 per cent points ahead of Sunday’s election.
Da Silva, also known as Lula, served as president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010. Bolsonaro, who is 67, took office in 2019 after winning 55 per cent of the vote.
