Brazil's third-placed party to back rival of incumbent president in presidential runoff

The Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), whose candidate Marina Silva came in third in the first round of presidential elections, announced Wednesday it will back opposition candidate Aecio Neves in the runoff on Oct. 26.

The conservative Neves will run against Dilma Rousseff, who is seeking reelection as the candidate of the left-leaning Workers' Party.

Only one out of the 29 members of the PSB leadership voted to back Rousseff; 21 favored Neves and seven voted for neutral stance in the second round, according to the daily O Estado de Sao Paulo.

Silva herself has yet to make any formal statements on the matter.

Silva tried to found her own party last year, the Sustainability Network, but failed to get the signatures needed in time, and finally joined the PSB in the last minute as its candidate's running mate.

She replaced the initial candidate Eduardo Campos after he died in a plane crash.

According to the daily, Network members have decided not to support Rousseff in the runoff, but remain divided about openly declaring their support for such an ideologically different candidate as Neves.

Silva is reportedly negotiating with Neves to declare her support for him in exchange for a commitment to ending reelection in Brazil.

Another four minor parties have declared their support for Neves in the second round.