World Notes BRAZIL

Talk about timing. With presidential elections just two weeks away, Silvio Santos, 58, one of Brazil's most popular television variety-show hosts, last week proclaimed himself a candidate. The startling announcement might have seemed laughable -- were Santos' challenge not so serious to the three leading contenders. If none of the candidates gets an absolute majority, the two leading candidates go forward from the first round of balloting on Nov. 15 to the runoff vote on Dec. 17. Within two days of Santos' announcement, newspaper polls showed the upstart candidate alternately in first and second place -- meaning he has a shot at making the final cut.

Still, Santos faces an uphill battle. His candidacy first must receive official confirmation by the Superior Electoral Tribunal. Even if Santos is allowed to run, his name will not appear on the ballot. He must educate Brazilian voters to mark the box labeled Armando Correa, an evangelist who stepped aside for Santos as the candidate of the tiny Municipalist Party, which fields many evangelist candidates. That may prove a difficult lesson to teach in a country with a high degree of illiteracy.