Newsman: Latin America’s largest country Brazil elected its next president on Sunday that represents the return of the left into power in Brazil again.
Following a tight run-off race, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva has been elected to be the next president of Brazil in a stunning comeback. This will be his third term, after previously governing Brazil for two consecutive terms between 2003 and 2010. His win concludes a triumphant personal comeback for “Lula” da Silva,the 76-year-old politician after a series of corruption allegations lead to his imprisonment for 580 days. The sentences were later annulled by the Supreme Court, clearing his path to run for reelection.
“They tried to bury me alive and I’m here,” he said in a jubilant speech to supporters and journalists on Sunday evening, describing the win as his political “resurrection.”
“Starting on January 1, 2023, I will govern for the 215 million Brazilians, not just the ones who voted for me. There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people, one great nation,” Lula da Silva also said.
Lula da Silva received more than 60 million votes, the most in Brazilian history, breaking his own record from 2006.
But despite the huge turnout from his supporters, his victory was by a narrow margin – Lula da Silva won 50.90% of the vote and Bolsonaro received 49.10%, according to Brazil’s electoral authority.
He received the support of several renowned economists highly regarded by investors, including Arminio Fraga, a former president of the Brazilian Central Bank.
Lula da Silva has said that he would push Congress to approve a tax reform which would exempt low-earners from paying income tax. His campaign received a boost from centrist former presidential candidate Simone Tebet, who came third in the first round earlier this month and gave Lula da Silva her support in the run-off. Known for her ties with Brazil’s agricultural industry, Tebet said in an October 7 press conference that Lula da Silva and his economic team had “received and incorporated all the suggestions from our program to his government’s program.
Many will be watching for potential change to the 2017 Labor Reform Act, which subjected more workers’ rights and benefits to negotiation with employers, and made union contributions optional. Lula da Silva had said previously that he would revoke the act but recently changed the verb to “review” following criticisms from the private sector.
