New survey results indicate Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is rebounding from a corruption scandal in time to save his chances for re-election.
The results show that if the presidential election scheduled for October were held today, the president would win 48 percent to 43 percent against Sao Paulo mayor Jose Serra, who is expected to run. He would also prevail in a match against another popular contender, Sao Paulo state governor Geraldo Alckmin. Serra and Alckmin are competing for their party's nomination.
The survey of more than 2,600 people was taken Monday and Tuesday by the Datafolha survey company, with a margin of error of two points.
President Silva, also known simply as "Lula," lost popularity last year when his political party was accused of bribery and illegal campaign financing. He is expected to run for re-election this year, although he has yet to declare his intentions.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.