Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R) greets supporters after voting in Sao Bernardo do Campo, on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006. He has won a second term in the run-off presidential election on Sunday, according to election officials. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Presiednt Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, candidate of the Workers' Party, won a second term in the presidential runoff with Geraldo Alckmin, Brazil's electoral court announced on Sunday.

    Lula net 61 percent of the vote, mostly from poor voters, easily defeating his rival Alckmin of the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party.

    Lula is highly popular among lower-class voters for his large-scale welfare program to cover the poor, while Alckmin, a former governor of the Sao Paulo state, is more favored among businessmen for his willingness to encourage business.

    On Sunday, about 125 million Brazilians, or two-thirds of the country's population, cast their ballots in the presidential runoff.

    Lula, 61, failed to clinch an outright victory over Alckmin in the Oct. 1 presidential election, during which the incumbent president got 48.6 percent of the votes against Alckmin's 41.6 percent.

    The next government will face a fractured parliament, with the Lula's party holding 83 of the 513 seats in the lower house and 11 in the 81-seat Senate, Alckmin's PSDB having 66 and 14 respectively, and the remaining seats going to other parties. 

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    Exit poll: Brazil's President Lula wins re-election

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R) greets supporters after voting in Sao Bernardo do Campo, on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, candidate of the Workers' Party, was re-elected in the run-off presidential election on Sunday, according to an exit poll.

    The poll, conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics, showed that Lula got 62 percent of the valid votes counted so far, while former Sao Paulo state's Governor Geraldo Alckmin, from the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, got 38 percent.

    Presidential candidates to debate on Brazil's largest TV channel

    RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's two presidential candidates will meet one last time before the election on Oct. 29, in a live debate to be broadcast by the country's largest TV network Globo on Friday night.

    According to the latest polls, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from the Workers Party (PT), has been widening his lead over former Sao Paulo state governor Geraldo Alckmin, from the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). Full story>>

    Lula's lead widens in Brazilian presidential race

    RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Poll results showed on Thursday that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva could get 63.2 percent of the vote in the Oct. 29 presidential race, while former Sao Paulo state Governor Geraldo Alckmin could win 36.8 percent.

    The results, released by CNT/Sensus, brought Lula's lead to 26.4 percent, while another survey released on Tuesday put his lead at 22 percent. Full story>> 

¡¡  Brazil's presidential candidates spar in hot TV debate

Brazil's presidential candidates Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva (R) and Geraldo Alckmin (L) take part in a television debate with journalist Ricardo Boechat in Sao Paulo October 8, 2006.(Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and former Sao Paulo state governor Geraldo Alckmin exchanged accusations and heavy criticism Sunday night on national TV during the first live debate in the second and f inal round of Brazils presidential election. Full story>>

    Lula leads Brazilian presidential race

    BRASILIA, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led Sunday's race but still fell short of the simple majority needed for his outright win in a single round of vote, partial results showed.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, candidate for re-election, speaks to journalists after voting in the general elections in Sao Bernardo do Campo on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Oct. 1, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    With almost 90 percent of the ballots counted, Lula garnered 49.28 percent of the votes, while his opponent, former Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin, got 40.95 percent.

    Vote counting is delayed in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, where polls indicated that Alckmin led the presidential race. That means it is still unclear whether Lula will be re-elected in the first round.

    Lula has to win more than 50 percent of the votes to win outright on Sunday and avoid going into a runoff on Oct. 31. Full story>>

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