Brazilian president way ahead

By LARRY ROHTER
New York Times
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Da Silva is not affected by scandal going into runoff

Rebuked at the polls four weeks ago because of voter irritation with a corruption scandal and his unwillingness to answer questions about it, Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, heads into a runoff vote today with a lead that every poll suggests is insurmountable.

A win would guarantee him another four years in office.

A final round of public opinion surveys published Friday shows da Silva, a former factory worker and labor leader, defeating his opponent, Geraldo Alckmin of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party, by at least 60 percent to 40 percent. More than 125 million Brazilians are registered for the runoff vote, which is required because da Silva fell just short of a majority in the first round of balloting Oct. 1.

"Everything indicates that this is going to be a resounding, unquestionable victory for Lula, despite all the scandals," said Jairo Nicolau, a political science professor at Candido Mendes University, using da Silva's nickname. Nicolau said that if the polls are right, da Silva will duplicate the landslide victory that carried him into office in 2002.

Alckmin, a 53-year-old physician and former governor of Sao Paulo, Brazil's richest and most populous state, was able to force a second round largely because of a late-breaking political scandal. In mid-September, the police apprehended operatives of da Silva's left-wing Workers Party as they were about to pay $792,000 in cash for a dossier they apparently hoped would incriminate Alckmin's camp in a notorious corruption scheme.

Da Silva has denied any involvement in the skulduggery, which forced the resignation of his campaign manager.

Da Silva has been able to pull away from Alckmin, in part, by labeling him a one-note candidate who spoke more of corruption than of his own plans.