BTL:'Lula' and His Workers Party Poised to Win Brazilian Presidency

Interview with Luis Gomez, Andean bureau chief with Narco News conducted by Scott Harris

In the first round of the Brazilian presidential election on Oct. 6, Workers Party candidate Luiz Inacio da Silva won 46 percent of the vote, falling just short of the 51 percent he needed to avoid a runoff. In the final round of voting scheduled for Oct. 27, da Silva, known as Lula to Brazilians, will face Jose Serra of the ruling Brazilian Social Democratic Party. Brazil's troubled economy contributed to the weak showing of Mr. Serra in the first round where he received only 23 percent of the vote.

Da Silva, once the head of the metal workers union, led his party to gain the largest number of seats in Brazil's congressional lower house and picked up the endorsement of two first round presidential candidates who together won 30 percent of the vote. While Lula is far ahead in public opinion polls anxiety among the financial sector about the prospects of a Worker's Party government has by many accounts contributed to the steep devaluation of the Brazilian currency, the Real.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Luis Gomez, Andean bureau chief with the online publication Narco News, who reports from Sao Paolo on what may be the most important political contest this year. Gomez discusses Lula's prospects as the final round of voting approaches and what the world can expect from a Worker's Party government.

Read Luis Gomez's reports on the Brazilian election by visiting the online publication's Web site at www.narconews.com.

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