Brazil's Covas elected as Sao Paulo governor-poll
Reuters, Sunday, October 25, 1998 at 14:19
RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Brazilian social
democrat and presidential ally Mario Covas was elected as state
governor of Sao Paulo on Sunday by a wide margin of votes,
according to an exit poll released on local television.
Independent research firm IBOPE said Covas took 56 percent
of the vote over right-wing populist Paulo Maluf, who took 44
percent, ensuring a staunch ally in Congress for President
Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a longtime friend of Covas.
The IBOPE survey was carried on Globo TV network after
polls closed at 5 p.m. (1900 GMT) in most of the country.
Nearly 65 million out of a total electorate of 106 million were
expected to have voted in Sunday's state elections.
In Rio de Janeiro, left-wing Anthony Garotinho garnered 59
percent of the vote, thrashing conservative Cesar Maia, a
former mayor of Rio city, who won 41 percent, IBOPE said.
In Minas Gerais, former President Itamar Franco, who has
been increasingly critical of Cardoso's free market economic
policies, won with 59 percent against the 41 percent of
incumbent governor Eduardo Azevedo, a member of Cardoso's
party.
Brazil's state governors enjoy wide spending and
tax-raising powers and are influential in voting in Congress.
Cardoso was keen to secure an ally in Sao Paulo as he prepares
for important political battles in coming weeks.
Copyright 1998, Reuters News Service |
