BRAZIL: Brazilian president Inacio Lula da Silva and his rival Geraldo Alckmin prepared for a crucial televised debate this weekend, fighting to win votes in what has become an unexpectedly open contest for the leadership of Latin America's largest country.
The candidates also have been busy making new alliances before the second round of the election, on October 29th.
Mr Lula, a former union leader and champion of Brazil's workers and poor, had been expected to easily win another term in the first round last Sunday.
But he failed to get a majority, garnering just shy of 49 per cent as accusations over sleaze and scandals surrounding his Workers' Party turned off voters and boosted the chances of Mr Alckmin, a managerial type who is close to the business elite.
Mr Alckmin, who received 41 per cent of the vote, is certain to go on the attack over corruption in the debate set for Sunday night. Mr Lula, who consistently denies having known about wrongdoing by his underlings, says he is ready to discuss the issue. Mr Lula (60) is a charismatic orator and his decision to skip debates with the other candidates before the first round is now seen as a mistake.
Since Sunday he and his supporters have portrayed Mr Alckmin (53) - a former Sao Paulo state governor with little national recognition until recently - as the candidate of the rich.
In Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, Mr Lula said Mr Alckmin's programme to cut government spending would lead to public servants losing their jobs.
Workers' Party stalwart Marta Suplicy said at a Sao Paulo event that Mr Alckmin's Brazilian Social Democracy Party planned to reduce Lula's hugely popular welfare programme that helps the poor in this country of 185 million people.
Mr Lula sealed an alliance in Rio with Sergio Cabral from the large Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, supporting his bid for Rio governor while Mr Cabral will back Mr Lula's candidacy.
But the leftist Democratic Workers' Party said it was unlikely to back Mr Lula and may side with Mr Alckmin as it felt betrayed. - (Reuters)