Widespread Defeat of Brazil's Workers' Party in Local Elections

The Workers' Party of Brazil, amid an economic crisis and widespread protests against government "corruption," has lost power in most major state centers after leading the country for 13 years. The municipal elections in Brazil were held on October 2, while the political crisis in this Latin American economic power has been escalating in recent months. Therefore, the result can be interpreted as a reflection of the current political approach among Brazilians regarding their country's future and the potential political parties that will take power. Dilma Rousseff, the former president from the Workers' Party, which she and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva led for years, has been ousted from power. Lula da Silva himself is facing serious charges and is accused of "leading a corruption network in the state oil company Petrobras." Analysts say these accusations have influenced the local election results and are likely a precursor to upcoming changes in the general elections of 2018. In São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, where the mayor is a key figure in the presidential elections, the Workers' Party experienced what Agence France-Presse described as a "dark day." Fernando Haddad from this party lost the competition to João Doria, a centrist millionaire from the Social Democratic Party. The Workers' Party has lost in four out of five state centers and has lost two-thirds of the seats it held in councils since 2012. In terms of municipalities associated with this party, it has fallen from third place among mayors to tenth place among other parties. Reuters states that the election results indicate a defeat not only for the Workers' Party but also for other organizations related to the Petrobras case; the political circle of Michel Temer, a politician who took power by ousting Dilma Rousseff and is considered a major opponent of Rousseff, also did not perform well in the local elections. The elections in Rio de Janeiro, where the 2016 Olympics were held, were also not favorable for the Olympic organizers, and the Workers' Party has lost power after years; the competition in the second round will be between a senator and a conservative speaker and a representative of the Socialism and Liberty Party, a leftist party that has separated from the Workers' Party. In this context, the Brazilian Senate voted to impeach and remove Dilma Rousseff from the presidency.