Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will face each other in the second round of the presidential election in Brazil. With 98.36% of ballots counted, Bolsonaro received over 47% of the vote, and Lula da Silva - nearly 45%.
Brazilian electoral authorities announced that with this result it is mathematically impossible for either candidate to pass the threshold of 50% of the actual votes in the first round. The runoff will be held on October 25.
Result above forecasts
The performance of 45-year-old Flavio Bolsonaro is better than expected in most opinion polls, Reuters notes. He is a senator and the son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, seeking to return to power the right-wing political current associated with his father.
Lula da Silva, who is 80 years old, is running for a fourth presidential term. The two candidates overtook the other participants in the race and will continue their campaign until the second round.
Increased prices and security were leading themes
The election campaign focused on the rising cost of living, corruption and the daily security problems that Brazilians face.
The vote on October 25 will determine whether the country will continue Lula da Silva's course or elect a representative of the political movement associated with Jair Bolsonaro.
Sources: BTA, Reuters