Former shoeshine boy first elected leftist president of Brazil
With 99.4% of the ballots from Sunday's second-round presidential elections counted, Silva had 61.3% and ruling party candidate Jose Serra 38.7%. Thousands thronged the streets of Sao Paulo, waving the red flags of Silva's Workers Party amid booming fireworks and the throb of music from a live band playing over giant loudspeakers. Some also hoisted the hammer-and-sickle of the Communist Party, which had supported Silva.
The right-wing party of Silva's running mate, Jose Alencar, as well as the country's bankers and industrialists associations, also welcomed Silva's victory. Silva a school dropout with a fifth-grade education will have to perform a juggling act after his January 1 inauguration for a four-year term. He must try to pull more than 50 million Brazilians from poverty, save the world's ninth largest economy from recession, foster job creation and increase housing, medical care and education, while maintaining fiscal responsibility and the confidence of Brazil's creditors and investors. Standing by a huge banner with the words "Hope Will Overcome Fear", the celebrants listened to Silva, his words echoing down Avenida Paulista, Sao Paulo's main avenue.
