Landslide returns 145;working man146; Lula

During the campaign, Lula cast himself as the champion of the country8217;s poor, touting a 19 per cent decrease in poverty rates, minimum wage increases and millions of new jobs.

But he also had to defend himself against several corruption allegations, the most recent of which was an accusation that his campaign had paid for damaging information against his political opponents. That accusation dominated headlines before the first-round vote on October 1, when Lula narrowly failed to win a majority, forcing Sunday8217;s runoff against Alckmin.

As the breadth of victory became clear and the chief of the electoral court declared the lead insurmountable, Alckmin telephoned the president Sunday evening to offer congratulations.

On the streets of this industrial city, activists wearing the red of Lula8217;s Workers8217; Party began celebrate even before the official results were announced.

8220;We in Brazil have the second opportunity to elect a working man,8217;8217; said Rosangela Rigo, 42, a psychologist who was dressed in red as she waited in line for the cinema after voting for Lula.

Alckmin8217;s candidacy had always been a long-shot affair, but a maelstrom of corruption scandals swirling around Lula and his party sapped support for the president and forced the runoff vote.

Several minor leftist candidates dismayed at Lula8217;s economic pragmatism and his party8217;s corruption also drew support away from Lula in the October1 election. But the runoff featured only two candidates, and many on the left seemed to feel they had no choice but to vote for Lula.

8220;I voted painfully for Lula,8221; said Cristina Figueiro, 35, a lawyer in Sao Paulo. 8220;But when it comes to the second round, one has to chose between the dirty and the badly washed.8217;8217;

The president8217;s backers say Lula will likely emerge stronger than ever after Sunday8217;s mandate. But opponents counter that his poor early showing mean Lula will have to compromise more with the opposition on a range of economic and social challenges that confront Brazil.

Lacking a majority in Congress, Lula will be obliged to form coalitions to help push through his planned reforms. The president has pledged to expand social service programmes for the poor and working classes, bolster the minimum wage, bring down interest rates and increase a desultory economic growth rate that has deeply worried many Brazilians, as has increasing crime.

Days before the Oct 1 vote, Lula was forced to dismiss several advisers after they were caught on camera with cash to allegedly buy information incriminating Alckmin8217;s party.