Buenos Aires Herald, 10/20/2014
Brazilians will go as one to the polls this Sunday to select the nation’s next leader, where they will be asked to choose between President Dilma Rousseff and challenger Aécio Neves — but that’s where the unity will end, say experts, with the country split in two.
Neves, of the opposition Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), currently has a two-percentage-point lead over Rousseff, from the ruling Workers’ Party (PT), but that falls within most polls’ margin of error, effectively putting the candidates neck-and-neck. Recent surveys however show that support may have peaked for Neves, the markets’ favourite, and his disapproval numbers are rising amid a barrage of attacks from the Rousseff campaign.
The number of Brazilians who say they would never vote for Neves rose four percentage points this week to 38 percent, according to a survey by the Datafolha polling firm, while Rousseff’s rejection rate came down one point to 42 percent, suggesting the incumbent is gaining momentum ahead of election day. But with most voters having already made up their mind, the two are now focusing their fight on the support of two key demographics — the millions of Brazilian who were lifted from poverty during 12 years of PT rule and undecided female voters.
Brazil Portal 