Brazil elects Dilma Rousseff as first female president
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Dilma Rousseff has been elected president of Brazil to succeed Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, electoral officials have confirmed, reports BBC.
Ms Rousseff, 62, who has never before held elected office, becomes the country's first woman president.
She promised to "honour the trust" Brazilians had put in her and work to eliminate poverty.
Ms Rousseff was the preferred successor of President Lula, who is leaving after two terms with record popularity.
Thousands of supporters of the governing Workers' Party took to the streets across Brazil to celebrate her victory.
The Superior Electoral Court said that with almost all the votes counted, she had won 56pc against 44pc for her rival, Jose Serra of the Social Democratic Party.
Although voting is compulsory in Brazil, there was a high rate of abstention at 21.5pc.
The second round of voting was forced after Ms Rousseff fell short of the 50pc needed in the 3 October first round, winning 47pc to Mr Serra's 33pc.
Ms Rousseff, 62, who has never before held elected office, becomes the country's first woman president.
She promised to "honour the trust" Brazilians had put in her and work to eliminate poverty.
Ms Rousseff was the preferred successor of President Lula, who is leaving after two terms with record popularity.
Thousands of supporters of the governing Workers' Party took to the streets across Brazil to celebrate her victory.
The Superior Electoral Court said that with almost all the votes counted, she had won 56pc against 44pc for her rival, Jose Serra of the Social Democratic Party.
Although voting is compulsory in Brazil, there was a high rate of abstention at 21.5pc.
The second round of voting was forced after Ms Rousseff fell short of the 50pc needed in the 3 October first round, winning 47pc to Mr Serra's 33pc.