MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fifty large Brazilian cities face run offs on 28 October; Sao Paulo an open race

Jose Serra, former mayor, governor and presidential candidate came ahead in Sao Paulo but it wasn’t enough

Fifty large Brazilian cities will be holding a run off at the end of the month following on Sunday’s results of the municipal elections when the ruling Workers Party and the opposition Brazilian Social Democracy Party, PSDB, confirmed their leaderships.

In all 50 cities with a population of over 200.000 which concentrate 22% of the electorate and include 17 of the 26 state capitals will be again voting on 28 October, said the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Last Sunday 5.568 Brazilian municipalities voted to elect mayors and councillors.

The Workers party of former president Lula da Silva in office since 2003 and despite a major corruption trial involving many of its former leaders, managed to capture 628 municipalities which represent a 14% increase over the previous 2008 election.

The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, PMDB, a strategic ally of the Workers Party won in 1.025 municipalities and the PSDB in 693, but experienced a 14% and 12% loss compared to 2008. The fourth strongest force, Social Democrat Party, PSD, a conservative wing won in 494 towns and the Brazilian Socialist Party, PSB, in 436 with an extraordinary jump of 42% over 2008.

The two major parties that have been disputing control of Brazil for the last two decades, PT and PSDB, clashed in 85 major cities, 35 of which were defined last Sunday with PT winning in 8 large cities and going for a run off in another 22, while PSDB took 6 and will dispute 16 at the end of the month.

The greatest prize Sao Paulo City, the industrial and financial heart of Brazil, remains an open race with the PSDB and PT clashing at the end of the month. PSDB candidate is Jose Serra a former Sao Paulo mayor and governor and defeated presidential candidate, while PT has Haddad, a former Education minister who is really being promoted by Lula da Silva.

The results of the municipal elections are seen as an anticipation of possible candidates for the 2014 presidential elections.