Dilma Rousseff elected first female president of Brazil

Brazil’s ruling party candidate Dilma Rousseff (pictured) has defeated Social Democrat Jose Serra in Brazil’s runoff poll to become the first woman president of Latin America’s largest country.

As anticipated, Brazil’s ruling party candidate Dilma Rousseff beat her rival, a former Sao Paulo state governor, in Sunday’s second round of the presidential election to become the first woman ever to lead Latin American’s most powerful economy.

Rousseff, who has promised to continue the economic policies of her predecessor, President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva, picked up almost 56% of the vote.

Rousseff’s victory was largely owed to the endorsement of the popular outgoing president, who hand-picked Rousseff, 62, to succeed him, and is leaving the presidency in January with an approval rating above 80 percent.

Some 135 million people were eligible to vote, which is compulsory in Brazil. Among them, 15 million voters also cast ballots in runoff elections for governor in eight states and the federal district of Brasilia.

The election was the fifth democratic presidential poll since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985.

Abortion hounds candidates

An economist and former energy minister, Rousseff had never run for elected office and was considered an obscure figure until Lula picked her as his successor.

Despite the former president’s endorsement, she fell short of the 50 percent majority needed in the October 3 first round when Serra defied predictions of an electoral routing.

Evangelical Green Party candidate Marina Silva, who came third in the first round, siphoned votes away from Rousseff. It was widely speculated that evangelical Christians punished Rousseff for not clearly expressing her opinion on abortion.

“Abortion became a deciding theme in the election,” Time magazine correspondent Dominic Phillips told FRANCE 24, adding that Pope Benedict XVI even “ordered bishops to tell Catholics to vote for the candidate that would be most against abortion.

Despite Serra’s hopes that Silva would endorse him for the second round, the Green Party politician stayed neutral. Analysts say Serra proved to be the less charismatic candidate on the campaign trail and he was unable to overcome the popular support for the Workers Party following years of massive economic growth.

Although she hails from a privileged background, Rousseff leans left. The daughter of a Bulgarian immigrant and Brazilian mother, Rousseff enjoyed a comfortable childhood. She joined the underground student resistance against the military dictatorship that came to power in 1964, and was imprisoned for three years and tortured.

A trained economist, she was serving as the secretary of energy and mining for the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul when Lula picked her in 2002 to head the country’s vital energy ministry.

She has been touted as the driving force behind Brazil’s National Growth Acceleration Programme, a massive infrastructure and housing project designed to boost the country’s economy.

Liverpool boss Hodgson: Dalglish is no threat

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson says that he does not view Kenny Dalglish as a threat, despite the Anfield legend being continually linked with his job.

Dalglish has publically admitted that he would love to take over at Liverpool for a second time, as he continues to fulfil an ambassadorial and scouting role for the club, and many have suggested that the former great will take over from Hodgson given the club's awful start to the season.

Hodgson, however, views Dalglish as a big asset, although did claim that he may one day take over the reins at Anfield.

"If Kenny's presence is a threat it is, but the fact is I'm not prepared to pass up on quality people who can help us move forward because I'm personally frightened,'' Hodgson told the Sunday Mirror. "If the day comes that they decide they want Kenny Dalglish and not me then so be it.

"That wasn't the case in the summer, but that's not to say it won't be forever more. But I have no fears in that respect. I know what I can bring to the job and what qualities I have. I'm not a political person, I'm not frightened of these things.

"I don't know about his ambition, but you can understand that I can't ask him, 'do you want my job? I was disappointed - and I've told him this - that he applied for the job in the summer because I don't think that was ever really going to happen for him."

Hodgson did revealed that his predecessor Rafa Benitez was not so supportive of Dalglish's involvement on in the playing side of the club.

"When they wanted me for the job, I made it clear to Kenny that he would be with me - not like with Benitez, when he was here in name but not allowed to step foot in Melwood and it was 'we don't want anything to do with you,'' he added.

"I told Kenny, 'that won't be the case, I want to tap into you for all the things you can bring', not least his iconic status. He's doing a very good job, helping us with our scouting, he still does a lot with the younger players at the academy and he also plays an ambassadorial role.

"You could not find a better person in the world to do that job for Liverpool Football Club and he should be doing it for other managers when I leave. His job should be a permanent one."

Mascherano: Lack of money the reason I left

Former Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano claims that he quit the club because of a lack of investment in players by then-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

ascherano moved to Barcelona in an £18 million transfer this summer, having forced through his transfer by refusing to play for Liverpool anymore. His relationship with then-boss Rafa Benitez, the Anfield fans and the co-owners was called into question, but the Argentine has now revealed that it was a lack of money that eventually persuaded him to leave the club.

''While Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United were spending big money, Liverpool couldn't because they had no money,'' he told the Sun. ''The situation is clear to me. When you want to fight for big things, titles, you must have a big team to win. "But, at Liverpool, that wasn't the case. That was the main reason we didn't qualify for the Champions League and all players want to test themselves at that level."

Mascherano admitted that it was not an easy decision to make, but thinks that now the ownership situation has been sorted out, the club are in a much better position.

"It is not easy to leave a team when you have been there almost four years,'' he added. "The Liverpool people and fans treated me very well. I cannot say anything against them and they will always be in my heart. But, though it was difficult, I knew my time there was over. Finished. I needed to go.

"I try to watch all of Liverpool's games on TV. They have had a tough start but I'm sure they'll get much better. There have been a lot of problems with the owners and this has affected things on the pitch. Now this has been sorted out, I think things will get better for the team."

Zanzibaris go to polls relaxed

ZANZIBARIS go to the polls relaxed on Sunday, after adversary CCM and CUF leaders promised co-operation to stop acts of violence that have featured in past elections in the Isles.

Campaign rallies held by the two parties in Unguja Island on Saturday were calm, indicating that Sunday’s election will be held peacefully.

CCM and CUF leaders continued to solicit votes from their members, instructing them on how to take part in Sunday’s exercise.

On Saturday, the Island of Unguja was calm. Businesses at the famous Darajani area went on as usual, while taxi drivers made lucrative business to transport Zanzibaris who were arriving from Dar es Salaam to take part in the voting exercise on Sunday.

“I live in the mainland, but I was registered in Zanzibar. I did not like to miss this historic event”, said Omar Abdallah Omar who runs an electronic shop at Kariakoo area in Dar es Salaam.

Meanwhile, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) on Saturday issued a statement, saying that votes for Councillors and Members of the House of Representatives will be tallied at special areas located in all the districts.

“The results will be announced by the Districts’ Returning Officers after being verified by relevant parties, including agents of the political parties”, said ZEC chairman Mr Khatib Mwinyichande.

ZEC is the only authoritative commission mandated totally presidential candidates’ votes and also announce the winner after the results have been verified by relevant authorities.

By yesterday afternoon, ZEC had already distributed ballot papers to almost all polling stations in Unguja and Pemba. The exercise was expected to end last night.

According to ZEC, polling stations will open at 7.00am and close at 4.00pm. In August this year, Zanzibar residents voted to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) which will allow rival parties to form a coalition government after the Sunday’s elections.

The power-sharing agreement is designed to end years of political strife that had marred previous elections in Zanzibar. The decision to form GNU in Zanzibar was not an easy one. It was based on the outcome of elections in Zanzibar since 1995 and the animosity that emerged thereafter.

Moustafa Khataw, chairman of the Tanzania Society of Travel Agents, says he doesn’t anticipate any trouble at this year’s elections. He said: “Zanzibar has learned from its previous mistakes and this time we have no tensions around the elections.”

ElecEletions in 4 Zanzibar wards postponed to 28 Nov - Zec

THE Zanzibar Election Commission (ZEC) has postponed elections in four wards due to miss location of ballot papers.

The commission’s director Mr Salum Kassim Ali said that the elections of the four wards would be held on November 28, this year.

He mentioned the wards with their constituencies in brackets as Mchangani ( Mji Mkongwe), Kwahani (Kwahani), Miembeni (Kikwajuni) and Nyerere (Magomeni).

Meanwhile, the Civic United Front (CUF) Union presidential candidate, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba has commended the role played by police force in making sure that peace prevailed in the just ended campaigns.

He asked the force to remain fair in Sunday’s elections. Addressing hundreds of party’s members who gathered at Mabibo Mpakani grounds, Ubungo Constituency in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, Prof Lipumba thanked Inspector General of Police (IGP) Said Mwema for the job well done.

“When someone has done something good worth acknowledging, we should always congratulate them. I would therefore like to thank the police force for doing their work thoroughly in these campaigns. I urge them to fairly supervise elections tomorrow (today),” he said.

Tanzanians vote in general elections

Tanzanian polls, expected to hand incumbent Jakaya Kikwete a final term began smoothly Sunday, but voters at some centres on the mainland and in Zanzibar complained of poor organisation.

Some voters who had turned up early in the economic capital Dar es Salaam complained they had not been briefed on the procedure, their names were missing from the list and that the exercise began late.

"Yes we have heard about that. We do not know how how widespread it is. Some voters are turning up and finding their names are not on the list and are unable to vote. Apart from that, voting is proceeding in an orderly manner," said Paul East, head of the Commonwealth observer group.

On the country's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, which has seen bloody poll violence in the past, voting largely opened on time and was orderly despite an early morning downpour.

On both the mainland and in Zanzibar men and women queued in separate lines. Agence Frannce-Presse correspondents said the process was relatively time-consuming because each voter was choosing legislators and local councillors as well as a president.

The Zanzibar electoral commission said voting for councillors had been delayed in some parts of Pemba island and blamed the "mis-allocation" of ballot papers.

"We want peace and we want economic change. We've been educating our children and yet there are no jobs for them," said 61-year-old Mustafa Masha who came to vote in central Dar es Salaam.

Nurdin Shabir, a trader at another station nearby said: "To me peace is of paramount importance so I can continue making a living for me and my family."

Kikwete, who has pledged to improve education, health and infrastructure, has predicted victory over his five rivals, some of whom have criticised him for failing to tackle rampant poverty and corruption.

"Our party will win. I have no doubt about that," he told thousands of jubilant supporters at a final rally Saturday in Dar es Salaam.

"We have fulfilled our pledges. We still have a long way to go but our objectives are very achievable."

The opposition Civic United Front's (CUF) presidential candidate Ibrahim Lipumba criticised Kikewete for failing to honour pledges he made when he first came to power five years ago.

Lipumba is contesting for the fourth time after losing twice to Kikwete's predecessor and to Kikwete himself in 2005.

Opinion polls have given Kikwete, a former foreign minster, a wide lead.

Wilbrod Slaa of the Chadema party, a first-time contender, is Kikwete's closest rival but scored just 10% in opinion polls released this month.

During his time as a legislator Slaa (62) pioneered an anti-graft drive that saw the resignation of prime minister Edward Lowassa, several lawmakers and the central bank governor.

In Zanzibar, veteran opposition politician Seif Sharif Hamad of the CUF will face ali Mohamed Shein of the Party of the Revolution (CCM) for the island's presidency in a contest expected to be closely fought.

But under a power-sharing Constitution adopted in July, they are likely to serve in a unity government aimed at ending recurrent election violence.

The run-up to this year's elections has been the liveliest since Tanzania, East Africa's largest country, returned to multiparty politics in 1992.

Tanzania has enjoyed relative stability since independence in 1961 unlike its neighbours which have been plagued by unrest. - AFP

Tanzania's President Kikwete tipped for election win

Voters in Tanzania are going to the polls to elect the East African country's president and parliament.

President Jakaya Kikwete, who has been credited with boosting the nation's economy, is seen by many as a favourite to secure his second and final term.

His main opponents are Willibrod Slaa, a former priest, and university professor Ibrahim Lipumba, who say the government has failed to tackle widespread poverty.

Voters are also electing 239 lawmakers.

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Zanzibar deal

More than 19 million people were eligible to cast their ballots when the polls opened at 0700 local time (0400 GMT).

A total of 18 political parties are competing, with seven candidates vying for the presidency.

President Kikweke, of the governing CCM party, was elected with more than 80% of the vote in 2005 and is now expecting to win again.

On Saturday, thousands of his supporters danced and cheered during a rally in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Mr Kikweke promises to reduce poverty, improve health, education and transport, says the BBC's Josphat Makori in Dar es Salaam.

But Mr Kikweke's critics accuse his government of not living up to similar pledges during his first term, our correspondent says.

More than 50% of Tanzanians still live below the poverty line, according to the IMF.

On Sunday, voters in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar - which enjoys a degree of autonomy from Tanzania - will also be going to the polls.

They will be electing their leaders for the first time since a power-sharing deal was struck between Zanzibar's two main political parties.

The agreement was aimed at bringing to an end the violence that erupted during Zanzibar's polls in 2000 and 2005.