Rousseff wins Brazilian election

Initial results suggest victory for Dilma Rousseff

Partial results in Brazil’s presidential race suggest the preferred candidate of outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is on course for victory.

Dilma Rousseff is currently on 54% of the vote, with rival Jose Serra on 45%. Final results are due within hours.

If Ms Rousseff wins, she will become Brazil’s first woman president.

Ms Rousseff, of the governing Workers’ Party, has enjoyed the full support of President Lula.

He is leaving office after two terms with record popularity ratings.

Ms Rousseff has promised to continue policies that have fostered years of strong economic growth and lifted millions of people out of poverty.

This second round of voting was forced after Ms Rousseff fell short of the 50% needed in the 3 October first round. She won 47% to Mr Serra’s 33%. More than 130 million voters were due to take part in the polls.

Several opinion polls published at the weekend suggested she could win the second round with a lead of 10 to 12 percentage points.

The results appear to suggest a narrower margin of victory.

Ms Rousseff flashed a victory sign and gave a big smile to photographers after casting her vote in the southern city of Porto Alegre.

“Tomorrow we begin a new phase in our democracy”, she said.

“I will govern for everyone, speak for all Brazilians, without exceptions”.

After casting his vote in Sao Paulo, Mr Serra of the Social Democratic Party said that after eight years of government by the Workers Party, Brazil needed change.

But he said he had faced an “uneven battle”, in apparent reference to the booming economy that has boosted the popularity of President Lula and his preferred successor.

The BBC’s Paulo Cabral in Sao Paulo says Mr Serra has done better than many people expected in a campaign filled with personal attacks and corruption allegations.

But our correspondent says it has been an uphill struggle to take votes away from a government boasting 80% approval ratings.

Mr Serra said he had faced an “uneven battle”

Jose Serra, 68, is a former governor of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, and a former health minister.

Campaigning under the slogan “Brazil can do more”, he has promised better management of government rather than a radical change of policy.

Ms Rousseff, 62, President Lula’s former chief of staff, has never before run for elected office.

Mr Lula has been active and highly visible in her election campaign. He has to step down after completing the maximum allowed two consecutive terms.

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