Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been re-elected to a historic fourth term, defeating right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in Sunday's presidential runoff, the country's electoral authority said. Lula won with about 51.8% of the vote, according to Reuters' analysis of the result, securing a fourth non-consecutive term and completing a comeback after trailing in the first round on 4 October. It was the first time since direct presidential elections returned in 1989 that a candidate has won the presidency after finishing second in the first round, CNN reported.

A refusal to concede

But the victory comes with an immediate challenge to its legitimacy. Bolsonaro, who is backed by US President Donald Trump, said he would not accept the result and would mount a legal challenge, pointing to a Supreme Court decision to extend voting by two hours. He told supporters in Brasilia: “We will take legal action. We will ask for this election to be annulled.” CNN's reporting notes that his own campaign had also sought the extension.

A difficult Congress ahead

Governing will also be difficult even if the result stands. Lula faces what analysts describe as Brazil's most conservative Congress since the return to democracy, with Bolsonaro's party and its allies holding majorities in both chambers, alongside high public debt and a government forecast of only 2.3% economic growth next year. Reuters described his final term as likely to be his toughest yet.

Lula takes office on 5 January. The campaign was dominated by the cost of living, crime and corruption — and those pressures, plus a hostile Congress and a legal fight over the result, will define the opening months of a fourth term won by less than four points.

Source: Reuters