By ousting Lula, Bolsonaro rigged the polls and qualified for the 2nd round.

Big surprise on Sunday Brazil. Former left-wing president Lula will be the outgoing president if he wins the first round of the presidential election Jair Bolsonaro It was better than expected. So a second round will be held to decide between them.

Luis Inacio Lula da SilvaThe Brazilian left-wing icon won 47.97% of the vote, ahead of the president, 43.60%, based on 97.69% of polling stations, the High Electoral Court (TSE) announced in the evening.

A disappointing result for Lula

The narrow victory is disappointing for Lula, whose polls had promised him a large lead even in the first round, which he wanted to celebrate on the grand Ballista Avenue in Sao Paulo. Therefore, he will have to face his sworn opponent in the second round provided by the Election Act on October 30.

Populist leader Jair Bolsonaro survived a humiliating defeat in the first round, and these four weeks will be an opportunity for him and his supporters to find new momentum.

The second round is, after all, another month of a dismal campaign that has exhausted millions of Brazilians since August. The candidates traded plenty of personal insults and presented few plans for Brazil’s future. “This adds uncertainty, and it would not be surprising to see incidents of unrest or violence,” said Georgetown University’s Michael Shifter.

Bolsonaro congratulates himself for “defeating the lies” of the referendum

In addition, several Bolsonaro candidates, including former government ministers, have been elected to Congress and as governors. Because throughout the day, Brazilians rushed en masse to elect their president, but representatives, a third of senators and governors of 27 states waited in long lines. The poll, which called for 156 million voters, was held without violence in Latin America’s largest country.

Ahead of voting on October 30, both candidates strengthened their forces with a view to winning the second round on Sunday evening. “The fight will continue until the final victory,” declared Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. For his part, Jair Bolsonaro congratulated himself for “defeating the lies” of the referendum.