The extremely polarised runoff election will determine whether the country elects a leftist to head the fourth-largest democracy in the world or re-elects the far-right leader for another four years.
Brazilians will return to the polls for the second round of voting after the two leading presidential candidates failed to garner sufficient support for an outright victory.
Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by more than 5% but did not receive more than 50% of the vote.
As neither candidate received the majority of votes, a runoff election will be held on October 30.
The fiercely polarised election will determine whether the country elects a leftist to head the fourth-largest democracy in the world or re-elects the far-right leader for another four years.
After 99.29% of the total votes were counted in what was arguably Brazil’s most significant election since the fall of the military dictatorship in 1985, Mr. da Silva of the socialist Workers’ Party received 48.26% of the vote.
Mr. Bolsonaro ranked second with 43.34 percent of the vote.
Mr. da Silva, speaking after the first round of the election, compared the approaching run-off to “extra time” in soccer.
“I desire to win every election on the first ballot. However, it is not always doable “he said.
Mr. Bolsonaro told reporters in the Brazilian capital Brasilia that he understood the population’s “thirst for change” but that “some changes might be detrimental.”
Recent public surveys gave Mr. da Silva a commanding lead, with a Saturday survey giving him a 50% to 36% edge.
However, the election turned out to be much closer than predicted, both for the presidency and for governorships and legislative seats.
Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, remarked, “The far right has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the presidential and state elections.”
“It is too early to conclude, but this election demonstrates that Mr. Bolsonaro’s victory in 2018 was no fluke,” he continued.
Who is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva?
Mr. da Silva, widely known as Lula, is credited with establishing a substantial social assistance program during his presidency from 2003 to 2010, but his administration is also notorious for its involvement in numerous corruption scandals.
In 2018, the 76-year-old was imprisoned on corruption allegations, but the Supreme Court later overturned the conviction.
Some believe the charges were politically motivated, as he was Mr. Bolsonaro’s primary opponent in the ongoing presidential campaign.
Lula, a former factory worker, and union leader resigned in 2010 after two terms in office, with near to 90 percent support ratings.
During his presidency, deforestation in Brazil decreased by 65 percent, according to the Brazilian National Institute of Space Research.
Who exactly is Jair Bolsonaro?
Since bursting onto the Brazilian political scene more than four years ago, Mr. Bolsonaro has been a controversial figure.
However, the 67-year-administration old’s has been defined by provocative rhetoric, his testing of democratic institutions, his widely criticized management of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the worst deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in 15 years.
Farmers and miners have been permitted to take down trees at unprecedented rates by President Bolsonaro.
However, he has amassed a loyal following by defending conservative ideals and presenting himself as a defender against leftist policies, which he argues violate individual liberties.
However, he has amassed a loyal following by defending conservative ideals and presenting himself as a defender of the nation against leftist policies, which he claims infringe on personal liberties and cause economic instability.
