Jair Bolsonaro: ‘Brazil’s Trump’ didn’t win a majority in national elections

The presidential candidate dubbed ‘Brazil’s Donald Trump’ did not win an outright majority in the national elections, though he came startlingly close.

Jair Bolsonaro, of the Social Liberal Party won 46 per cent of the vote and is set to run in three weeks against Fernando Haddad, from the left-wing Workers’ Party, who had gotten just 29 per cent of votes.

The former army captain has been compared to Donald Trump and Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte for his misogynistic comments about women, his anti-LGBT remarks and his wishes to restore the death penalty.

According to the BBC, Bolsonaro said that had there not been 'problems' with the electronic voting system in Brazil, he would have won outright:

I am certain that if this hadn't happened, we would have known the name of the president of the republic tonight.

His son, Eduardo, was criticised after he tweeted a picture Steve Bannon. He wrote:

It was a pleasure to meet STEVE BANNON, strategist in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. We had a great conversation and we share the same world view. He said be an enthusiast of Bolsonaro’s campaign and we are certainly in touch to join forces, especially against cultural Marxism.

Several parallels have been made between the Brazil presidential hopeful and the US president – both criticised the Paris climate agreement. Bolsonaro has taken an anti-abortion stance, and Trump’s supreme court pick once questioned if abortion rights was the 'settled law of the land.'

Brazil, like America, is deeply divided about its politicians. Bolsonaro was stabbed last month on the campaign trail. He’s got support from a wide range of people, from students to Evangelical Christians and women. Brazilian footballers like Felipe Melo, of Palmeiras, and Tottenhan Hotspur winger Lucas Moura have endorsed his candidacy as well. However, some critics refuse to call him by name, referring instead to him as ‘the thing.’

The second round of elections in Brazil will take place on 28 October.

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