Dilma Rousseff, the former Marxist guerrilla who fell just short of an overall majority in the first round of voting in the presidential election in Brazil, is increasingly confident of victory in the second round to be held at the end of this month.
Ms Rousseff, a former chief of staff for the hugely popular outgoing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Workers’ Party candidate, won 47 per cent of the popular vote on Sunday October 3 while her main opponent, José Serra, a former Mayor of Sao Paulo and the candidate for the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy, won 33 per cent while Marina Silva, the Green Party candidate, got 19 per cent.
If Ms Rousseff, a 62-year-old economist, wins in the head to head run off with Mr Serra on October 31, she will become the first female President of Brazil.
Voting is mandatory in Brazil for anyone over the age of 18 and under the age of 70. Some 135 million people are expected to vote.
Outgoing President Lula could not stand again as, under the terms of the Brazilian constitution, no candidate can run for a third consecutive term in office.
