Brazilians voted in the first round of elections for the country's 5,562 municipalities on October 3; runoffs will be held on October 31 for races where no candidate won more than 50 percent. Analysts considered the first round a gain for the leftist Workers Party (PT) of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which increased its total vote from about 12 million in the 2000 municipal elections' first round to 14.3 million this year, making it the country's fastest growing party.

The PT won 388 city halls, more than double its total in the 2000 election. Six of the 26 state capitals went to the PT, and the party will compete for nine others in the second round. The PT won six state capitals in the 2000 elections, and has set a goal of winning 12 this year. Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, and Recife, both PT strongholds, were the most important wins for the party. The big loss was São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, where PT mayor Marta Suplicy got 35 percent of the vote, against 43 percent for José Serra, candidate of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), which is headed by former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2003). Suplicy and Serra will face each other in the second round, but the polls favor Serra, who lost to Lula in the 2002 presidential elections. The PT also faces runoffs in two other cities where it is usually strong. In Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, PT candidate Raúl Pont got 37 percent of the vote, while José Fogaca of the Popular Socialist Party followed with 28 percent. In Curitiba, Paraná, Beto Richa of the PSDB led with 35 percent; PT candidate Angelo Vanhoni came in second with 31 percent.

Although the PT increased its vote, it was still behind other parties in the number of municipalities won. The centrist Brazilian Democratic Mobilization Party (PMDB) was victorious in 1,035 municipalities, the PSDB in 847 and the rightwing Liberal Front Party (PFL) in 779, including Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city, where incumbent César Maia was reelected.

Brazilians are required by law to vote; almost 120 million participated in the balloting. (La Jornada (Mexico) 10/4/04 from DPA, AFP; Financial Times (UK) 10/5/04; Granma International (Cuba), 10/7/04) WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE ON THE AMERICAS, 10/10/04.