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A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 23 OcTOber 2018

For many Brazilians, election is picking 'lesser of evils'

By BEATRICE CHRISTOFARO administrations of da Silva,
Associated Press president in 2003-10, with
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — In lifting tens of millions out
the lead up to Brazil's elec- of poverty with social pro-
tions, Peter Rooker strug- grams while the country
gled to find a presidential enjoyed a strong economy
candidate he believed in on the back of a commodi-
out of a field of 13. He was ties boom.
sure of one thing, though: Yet for many it's impossible
He would not vote for far- to forget that the sprawl-
right congressman Jair Bol- ing "Car Wash" corruption
sonaro or Fernando Had- scandal involving kick-
dad of the scandal-tainted backs to politicians hap-
leftist Workers' Party. pened while the party was
But it was precisely those in power. Brazil's economy
two candidates who also suffered its worst re-
emerged from an incon- cession in decades under
clusive first round of voting President Dilma Rousseff of
and will meet Oct. 28 in a the Workers' Party, who was
runoff — and Rooker isn't impeached and removed
happy about it. from office in 2016 for ille-
"I wish I could support a gally managing the federal
good candidate instead budget. Rousseff, da Silva's
of having to choose the In this Oct. 17, 2018 photo, a campaigner holds a stack of flyers for Workers' Party candidate Fer- successor, has always de-
lesser of two evils," said the nando Haddad, and wears #NotHim stickers against far-right contender Jair Bolsonaro, in Rio de nied wrongdoing.
22-year-old event promot- Janeiro, Brazil. "I feel dirty voting for the
er from the southern city of Associated Press Workers' Party after every-
Curitiba. thing they've done, but Bol-
Rooker isn't alone. Twenty- 1964-1985 military dictator- him" frame to their photo, say Bolsonaro's support has sonaro is dangerous," said
five percent of voters sup- ship, and for offensive com- referring to Bolsonaro, while increased to nearly 60 per- Rooker, who voted for cen-
ported one of the other ments about gays, blacks others put banners saying, cent. ter-left Ciro Gomes in the
candidates in the Oct. 7 and women. Haddad, the "Not the Workers' Party" or He has won widespread first round of voting. Gomes
first round. Because voting hand-picked successor to "I'd rather pay a fine than support by positioning him- came in third.
is mandatory in Latin Amer- jailed former President Luiz vote." self as the antithesis to the For Anna Caroline Viana, a
ica's largest nation, those Inacio Lula da Silva, is hurt On the campaign trail both Workers' Party and much 21-year-old student in the
voters now must pick be- by the reluctance of many candidates hammer at of the ruling establishment. capital of Brasilia, migrat-
tween Bolsonaro and Had- to return to power the what voters dislike about He notes he has not been ing from Gomes to Had-
dad, potentially swinging Worker's Party, which gov- the other and no claim convicted of corruption - dad is not as tough. While
the election depending on erned Brazil from 2003 until seems to go too far. Had- unlike many of Brazil's top she does not want to see
what they decide. early 2016. dad's team recently pub- politicians - and promises to the Workers' Party back in
For many, that choice is "Centrist voters are or- lished a video likening Bol- crack down on crime and power, she is not opposed
excruciating, as polls have phans" right now, said sonaro to Adolf Hitler, while fill his Cabinet with former to Haddad, a former uni-
consistently indicated that Carlos Pereira, a political the far-right candidate and current generals. versity professor and edu-
both candidates have the analyst with the think tank uses his daily Facebook Hundreds of thousands cation minister who most
highest rates of rejection Getulio Vargas Foundation Live chats to compare have taken to the streets consider a moderate.
- defined as when a po- in Rio de Janeiro. the Workers' Party to North in recent weeks to oppose Most importantly for her,
tential voter says he or she Many Brazilians are ex- Korean or Venezuelan re- his policies and comments, Haddad is not Bolsonaro. "If
will not support a particular pressing their disdain for gimes. while his supporters turned the only way to beat a can-
candidate under any cir- the candidates through In the first round, Bolson- out for rallies across Brazil didate who diminishes me
cumstances. memes, hashtags and pro- aro got 46 percent of the on Sunday. for my skin color and gen-
Bolsonaro, a former army file picture banners. After votes, compared to Had- Opinions about the Work- der is to vote for the Work-
captain, is reviled by many the first round, some Face- dad's 29 percent. Heading ers' Party also divide the ers' Party, I will do that," said
for his praise for Brazil's book users added a "Not into the second round, polls country. Many credit the Viana, who is black.q