Political sleaze appears to have cost Lula da Silva a first-round victory. Barely weeks ago, Brazil's first working class president appeared to be coasting to relection. But that all changed when operatives linked to the ruling Workers' Party were caught trying to buy a dossier aimed at smearing Lula's presidential rivals. Lula finished with just under 49 per cent of the vote - just short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a run-off. The left-winger will now go head-to-head with his main rival the centre-left candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, on October 29th.