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Dilma Rousseff re-elected Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff promises reform after Brazil poll win
(about 4 hours later)
Dilma Rousseff has been re-elected president of Brazil, after securing more than 51% of votes in the closest election race in many years. President Dilma Rousseff has promised to re-unite Brazil after narrowly winning re-election to a second term in office with 51.6% of the vote.
An official count showed her rival, centrist candidate Aecio Neves, taking just over 48% of the vote. She said "dialogue" would be her top priority after a bitterly fought campaign against centre-right candidate Aecio Neves, who got 48.4% of the vote.
In her victory speech, Ms Rousseff said she wanted to be "a much better president than I have been until now".In her victory speech, Ms Rousseff said she wanted to be "a much better president than I have been until now".
She faced protests last year against corruption, record spending on the football World Cup and poor services. She said she understood she had to "make the big changes society demands".
She faced mass protests last year against corruption, record spending on the football World Cup and poor services.
Ms Rousseff, who has been in power since 2010, is popular with poor Brazilians thanks to her government's welfare programmes.Ms Rousseff, who has been in power since 2010, is popular with poor Brazilians thanks to her government's welfare programmes.
Political reformPolitical reform
But the vote split Latin America's biggest country almost evenly in two, along lines of social class and geography.But the vote split Latin America's biggest country almost evenly in two, along lines of social class and geography.
Ms Rousseff called on all Brazilians "to unite in favour of Brazil's future" and said she would seek political reform. The president said that during the campaign "the word repeated most often was change and the idea most often invoked was reform".
"This president is open to dialogue. This is the top priority of my second mandate," she told a cheering crowd in the capital, Brasilia. "Sometimes in history, close outcomes trigger results more quickly than ample victories," she said.
She also thanked her supporters, especially her political mentor and predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "It is my hope, or even better, my certainty that the clash of ideas can create room for consensus, and my first words are going to be a call for peace and unity," she told a cheering crowd in the capital, Brasilia.
"Instead of widening differences and creating a rift, I have the strong hope that we can use this energy to build bridges."
She also thanked her supporters, especially her political mentor and predecessor in office, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
"I thank from the bottom of my heart our number one militant, President Lula.""I thank from the bottom of my heart our number one militant, President Lula."
Her re-election for a second term extends the rule of her Workers Party (PT), which came to power in 2002 with President Lula. Her Workers' Party (PT), which has been in power since 2002, will now govern for another four-year term starting on 1 January 2015, but with a considerably weaker mandate than before.
The divided nature of the vote was palpable in Sao Paulo, where disappointed supporters of Mr Neves chanted "Kick the PT out!" while PT voters waved flags and celebrated in the streets.
Mr Neves admitted defeat and thanked the "more than 50 million Brazilians who voted for the path to change".
He said that the "overriding priority is to unite Brazil around an honourable programme worthy of all Brazilians".
Analysis: Wyre Davies, BBC News, Rio de JaneiroAnalysis: Wyre Davies, BBC News, Rio de Janeiro
This has been the tightest of contests but in re-electing Dilma Rousseff, Brazilians have opted for continuity, backing a system and a party that has brought economic growth and generous welfare programmes that have elevated tens of millions of Brazilians out of extreme poverty. This has been the tightest of contests, but in re-electing Dilma Rousseff, Brazilians have opted for continuity, backing a system and a party that has brought economic growth and generous welfare programmes that have elevated tens of millions of Brazilians out of extreme poverty.
The centrist, business friendly candidate Aecio Neves had pushed Dilma Rousseff hard - his experience as a successful state governor persuading many Brazilians that he could modernize and rationalize what, in recent years, has been a struggling economy. The centrist, business-friendly candidate Aecio Neves had pushed Dilma Rousseff hard - his experience as a successful state governor persuading many Brazilians that he could modernize and rationalize what, in recent years, has been a struggling economy.
Brazil looks and feels divided. Whereas Dilma Rousseff did well in the poorer northern states, her opponent took many of the wealthier and more developed southern parts of Brazil.Brazil looks and feels divided. Whereas Dilma Rousseff did well in the poorer northern states, her opponent took many of the wealthier and more developed southern parts of Brazil.
The challenges facing Dilma Rousseff are huge. International markets are nervous about the high level of government intervention in the economy. Many of those Brazilians whose lives have improved in recent years want more - especially services including better health education and a reduction in Brazil's chronic levels of crime. The challenges facing Dilma Rousseff are huge. International markets are nervous about the high level of government intervention in the economy. Many of those Brazilians whose lives have improved in recent years want more - especially services including better health education and a reduction in Brazil's chronic levels of crime.
Brazil's president preaches unity after hard-won victoryBrazil's president preaches unity after hard-won victory
Aecio Neves, of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), admitted defeat in a speech to supporters in the southern city of Belo Horizonte. Ms Rousseff promised wide-spread reform and a "rigorous fight against corruption", one of the grievances which led to mass protests last year.
He thanked the "more than 50 million Brazilians'' who voted for him and said he had telephoned the re-elected president. She said she would "strengthen control mechanism and propose changes to the legislation to put an end to impunity".
"I... wished her success in the administration of her next government, and I reaffirmed what I feel should be our greatest priority, to unite Brazil on the basis of an honourable project which dignifies all Brazilians," he said at the rally. Both Ms Rousseff and Mr Neves had made economic growth central to their election campaigns and the president again referred to her plans in her victory speech.
Mr Neves was the governor of the southern swing-state of Minas Gerais for eight years. She said she would "continue to fight inflation and make improvements in the field of fiscal responsibility".
Both he and Ms Rousseff had made economic growth and lifting Brazilians out of poverty central to their election campaigns. With Brazil's once booming economy now stagnant and inflation on the rise, analysts say her main challenges will be to regain the confidence of investors as well as that of those Brazilians who voted for Mr Neves.
The election came after weeks of intensive campaigning by the two candidates and a presidential race that took a tragic turn after Eduardo Campos, a main opposition candidate, was killed in a plane crash in August.
His running mate, a renowned environmentalist, Marina Silva, was thrust into his place, vowing to become the South American country's first "poor, black" president.
But she came third in the first round after Ms Rousseff and Mr Neves secured 41.5% and 33.5% of the vote respectively.
As neither candidate got an absolute majority, the election went into a second round.
Are you in Brazil? What will the re-election of Dilma Rousseff mean for you? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.Are you in Brazil? What will the re-election of Dilma Rousseff mean for you? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.