MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Dilma only waiting for October 3 to become Brazil’s first woman president

Polls show Ms. Rousseff is clearly consolidating with over 50% of vote intention

With only three weeks left the ruling Brazilian government Workers Party presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff increased her advantage over the main opposition hopeful, former Sao Paulo governor Jose Serra to 23 points, according to the latest opinion polls released by Folha de Sao Paulo the television network O’Globo.

The poll from Instituto Datafolha shows President Lula da Silva’s former cabinet chief with 50% vote intention, while Serra from the Brazilian Social Democracy party figures with 27% and the candidate from the Green Party, Senator and former Environment Minister Marina Silva, 11%.

Compared to a week ago Ms Rousseff retains her 50% plus vote intention which ensures victory in the first October 3 round, avoiding a run off at the end of that month.

Serra who has a majority support among the business sector dropped from 28% to 27%.
Silva who broke off with President Lula da Silva on environmental policies differences gained one point from 10% to 11%.

In the event of a run-off Ms Rousseff would garner 55% of the vote and Serra 35%, one point less than a week ago.

The poll was done September 8/9, with 11.660 interviews in 414 municipalities with a margin error of plus/minus two percentage points.

The last weeks of the campaign have been engulfed by claims that followers of Ms Rousseff have been looking into, --and selectively leaking to the press--, bank accounts and fiscal reports of Serra family members and other opposition officials.