Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has narrowly failed to win an outright victory in the first round of his country's election. He fell about one per cent short of the votes needed. This report from Simon Watts:

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Lula will virtually give up running the government to tour the country talking up his anti-poverty programmes and economic management. His problem is there may be more twists in damaging allegations that governing party insiders were willing to pay cash to smear opponents. Geraldo Alckmin is now a better campaigner, but he still needs to be more charismatic. He has to attack the president on corruption, while also offering a positive agenda.

The dynamic of the first round was "Everyone against Lula"; in the second, the electorate will also consider what Mr Alckmin would be like in office. Many of the swing voters could be disillusioned left-wingers, and it's unclear which candidate they see as the lesser evil. Whoever wins will have to bring together a country with regional divisions. Voters in the poor northeast of Brazil generally supported Lula, while the more developed south mainly backed Mr Alckmin.

Simon Watts, BBC

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run-off
the second and final round of voting

outright victory
when someone wins completely, without the need for a further round of voting

lost momentum
stopped being able to keep gaining success

gang up on him
join together to criticize or oppose him

twists
unexpected changes in the situation

to smear opponents
to tell negative stories about those who don't support the government in order to make people lose respect for them

charismatic
interesting and attractive, admirable (about a person)

swing voters
those who may change their mind as to who they are going to vote for

disillusioned
disappointed because you have lost your belief in something good

the lesser evil
here, bringing less harm to the country than the other choice

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