Lula defeats Bolsonaro to become Brazil’s president, again

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's electoral authority said Sunday that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the leftist Worker's Party defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to become the country's next president.

With 98.8 per cent of the votes tallied, da Silva had 50.8 per cent and Bolsonaro 49.2 per cent, and the election authority said da Silva's victory was a mathematical certainty.

Da Silva, the country's former president from 2003-2010, has promised to restore the country's more prosperous past, yet faces headwinds in a polarised society.

It is a stunning return to power for da Silva, 77, whose 2018 imprisonment over a corruption scandal sidelined him from that year's election, paving the way for then-candidate Bolsonaro's win and four years of far-right politics.

Most opinion polls before the election gave a lead to da Silva, universally known as Lula, though political analysts agreed the race grew increasingly tight in recent weeks.

For months, it appeared that da Silva was headed for easy victory as he kindled nostalgia for his presidency, when Brazil's economy was booming and welfare helped tens of millions join the middle class.

But while da Silva topped the October 2 first-round elections with 48 per cent of the vote, Bolsonaro was a strong second at 43 per cent, showing opinion polls significantly underestimated his popularity. Many Brazilians support Bolsonaro's defense of conservative social values and he has shored up support with vast government spending.

Candidates in Brazil who top the first round tend to win the runoff. But political scientist Rodrigo Prando said this campaign is so atypical that a Bolsonaro win could not be ruled out.

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