Brazil to Hold Second Round in Presidential Election

The presidential election in Brazil is heading to a second round. Far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro defeated the current left-wing President, Luiz da Silva, but did not get the majority needed to win outright.

Neither candidate got 50 percent or more of the votes, as required by the law. This was despite counting 97 percent of the total votes from Sunday’s election.

Mr Bolsonaro, who is against President da Silva’s bid for a fourth term, received 47 percent of the votes. Mr da Silva got 45 percent.

Brazilian officials announced on Sunday night that the election will go to a runoff, according to Al Jazeera.

The runoff will take place on 25 October. This election will show if US President Donald Trump will have an ally in the largest country in South America.

The economy is a key issue in this election. Other big topics include the rising cost of living, growing insecurity, and personal debt. Although poverty and unemployment have decreased in Brazil, household incomes are not keeping up with rising living costs.

A survey in September by the Council on Foreign Relations found that 33 percent of Brazilians said their income hadn’t increased over the past year. Another 21 percent said their income went up but not enough to match the cost of living.

Mr Bolsonaro has been using these issues to his advantage in his campaign.

After the results were announced, Mr Bolsonaro told reporters, “Brazil wants change; that’s the reading of what happened today.

“It’s the end of the Workers’ Party era,” he added, referring to Lula’s party.

On the other hand, Mr da Silva called the result “unexpected.” He believed he could win in the first round.

“Tomorrow we start a new campaign. I am very good in the knockout stage. We will see who has the best plan,” he said.

Mr Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL) has won the most governors, senators, and federal deputies so far. This position gives them a likely majority and more influence in Congress.

Yet, both candidates have image issues. Polls show that many Brazilians do not approve of the Bolsonaro family. The far-right candidate is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year prison term for leading a failed coup after losing the 2022 election.

A significant number also disapprove of the President and his Workers’ Party.

Mr Trump, who had a tense relationship with the Lula government, openly supported Mr Bolsonaro. In May, he welcomed the Brazilian politician to the White House. In June, he called him a “smart man who loves his country.”

But when asked if he supported Mr Bolsonaro’s presidential run, Mr Trump said he was “watching the election very closely.”