By Ruzeki, Shadow News
In Summary
- Brazil votes for the next president on Sunday, 30th October 2022, in the final round of a polarizing election, which is seen as the most important in the country’s democratic history.
- The choice is between the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and the leftist former president Lula da Silva. The two rivals espouse radically different paths to prosperity.
- The polls come when the country struggles with high inflation, limited growth and rising poverty.
- Gun laws have become a key battleground, alongside religion; ahead of Sunday’s presidential election run-off vote between Bolsonaro and his left-wing rival Lula.
- There are concerns of political violence, disinformation and the future of Brazil’s democracy.
 |
| The far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and his left-wing rival former President Lula da Silva face off in the second round of a most polarizing election in Brazil's history. Ruzeki |
Brazilians are heading to the polls after one of the most polarised election campaign in the country's history, bending far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro against his left- wing challenger, former President Lula da Silva.
Lula is going into the second round of presidential voting on Sunday with a constant lead overMr. Bolsonaro, most pollsters call. However, polling ahead of the first round undervalued voters ’ support for the incumbent president, encouraging public backlash and forcing a second round.
The race could be a close one. Neither of the candidates gained over 50 in a first round vote held on October 2, forcing the two leading candidates into this Sunday’s run-off vote. Lula and Bolsonaro finished with 48 and 43 percent support respectively.
Lula, who served as president from 2003 to 2010, has appealed to Brazilians to elect him to help “ rebuild and transform ” the country after four years under Bolsonaro. The former president has pledged to support low- income Brazilians and reinstate environmental protection programs, especially in the Amazon, which has seen a surge in deforestation and increased attacks against Indigenous people in recent years.
Bolsonaro, who's the incumbent has announced new support programmes for poor Brazilians while boosting economic development and promising to tackle crime and corruption. He also has stressed conservative values, including his opposition to legalised abortion and drugs while advising that Lula’s return would lead to the persecution of churches.
Mr. Lula, a former president credited with building an expansive social welfare programme during his eight- year term starting in 2003, attained48.4 percent of valid votes, falling short of the overall majority he needed to avoid a run- off. For his part, Bolsonaro got43.2 percent, according to Brazil’s electoral authority, significantly outperforming pollsters ’ predictions that saw him at a 14- points disadvantage.
The fractious campaign has seen bothMr. Bolsonaro and Mr. Lula take opposing sides of the gun ownership debate, while trying to court evangelical Christians, who are estimated to make up over 30 percent of Brazil’s population. Their campaigns have concentrated more on social issues and culture wars than the nuts and bolts of policy, an increasing number of churches and religious leaders have begun openly preaching electoral deliverance.
The task seems easier for the incumbent Bolsonaro, who regularly prays at his public rallies and has a socially-conservative stance on abortion, same sex marriage and gender, which are more aligned with most churches.
Distrust has been aggravated by a bitter campaign period, marked by acute misinformation campaigns and name - calling on both sides. Authorities in Brazil have ramped up efforts to remove inaccurate information from social media websites, even setting up their own platform to debunk some of the allegations.
Bolsonaro’s campaign is a continuation of his conservative, pro-business docket. Mr. Bolsonaro has pledged to improve mining, privatize public companies and generate additional sustainable energy to bring down energy prices. In addition, he has promised to continue paying aR$ 600 monthly benefit for low- income households. These fiscal aid payments has accelerated this month, a move seen by critics as politically motivated.
Lula’s policy agenda has been light on the details, focusing largely on pledges to improve Brazilians fortunes based on past achievements.Mr. Lula wants to put the state back at the heart of economic policy making and government spending, promising a new tax regime, which will allow for higher public spending. He has promised to end hunger and to reduce carbon emissions and deforestation in the Amazon.
Still, he'd face a hostile congress, if Lula da Silva becomes president. Bolsonaro’s allies won the majority seats in both houses after the Congressional elections on October 3. Bolsonaro’s right- wing Liberal Party has 99 seats in the lower house, and parties associated with him now control half the chamber.
Stand by for live updates during and after the Sunday's polls.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment