> Brazilian Left Sweeps to Power in Sao Paulo > > By REUTERS > > SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Supporters of Brazil's opposition left-wing Workers > Party (PT) poured on to Sao Paulo's financial avenue late on Sunday to > celebrate victory in the mayoral race of South America's largest city, their > new springboard for the 2002 presidential elections. > > > The PT's Marta Suplicy, a former TV sex psychologist and federal deputy who > wooed corruption-weary residents with her anti-graft campaign, garnered 59 > percent of the vote with all ballots counted in the city of 10 million. > > > Paulo Maluf, a conservative populist for the PPB and former Sao Paulo mayor, > won 41 percent as the corruption scandals of his protege, Mayor Celso Pitta, > weighed against him. > > > Across Latin America's largest country, 26 million people cast their votes in > 31 key cities in the second round of mayoral elections on Sunday. The PT took > 13 of the 16 cities where it had candidates. > > > ``This is a victory for all of the political forces and unions, for democrats > and progressive thinkers against representatives of conservatism and of the > prejudiced, authoritarian and dishonest right,'' Suplicy told reporters. > > > Thousands of supporters, mostly youths, gathered on Sao Paulo's Avenida > Paulista, the banking center for Latin America's financial capital, waiting > for the 55-year-old, mother of three to appear. They chanted ``Out Satan! > Maluf never again!'' > > > Members of the Gay Pride Movement, which threw its support behind the woman > that battled for gay rights in Brasilia, unfurled a large rainbow-colored > flag over the heads of the crowd. > > > BIG VICTORIES NORTH AND SOUTH > > > PT supporters also took their red and white starred flags to the streets in > the northeastern hub of Recife, where their candidate came from behind to > beat the right-wing incumbent. > > > In the southernmost state capital of Portoalegre, they celebrated the fourth > term for a PT mayor. > > > But Brazil's most important opposition party was absent from the biggest > upset of the day in Brazil's second largest city and tourism capital, Rio de > Janeiro. > > > After lagging in the opinion polls, Cesar Maia scraped by incumbent Luiz > Paulo Conde, who Maia chose as his successor four years ago, with 51 percent > of the vote. The former allies both ran for center-right parties. > > > Sunday's outcome added strength to the PT's good showing in the Oct. 1 first > round in 5,600 municipalities in which it won 14.1 percent of the vote > nationwide, up from 10.6 percent four years ago. > > > ``The growth of the PT is a fact at this stage,'' said political analyst > Andre Singer. ``And now it will have a strong local base for leverage in > 2002.'' > > > The PT, under the command of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has come in second in > the last three presidential elections since Brazil's military dictatorship > ended in 1985. > > > The presidential race is wide open and no strong candidates have emerged to > succeed President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, now halfway through his second > four-year term, with the support of a center-right alliance. > > > But analysts say the PT will need a face-lift if it is ever going to win on a > national level. > > > If Suplicy can put Sao Paulo's nearly bankrupt house in order, the PT could > go into presidential elections with proof it is no longer a radical labor > movement but a party capable of managing big administrations. > > > But even those who voted for her on Sunday were skeptical of her ability to > improve health care, build schools and sanitation works and help stem > violence in four years. > > > ``It is going to be very difficult to change this mess,'' said Anelita dos > Santos, a 60-year-old housewife. ``I don't know Marta well, but I voted for > her because who knows what she can do.'' > > > Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company > ============================================================================ = > > >
