Brazil’s Biggest Party Backs Lula’s Hand-Picked Candidate for President

Dilma Rousseff The biggest political party in Brazil, the PMDB (Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement),  has just made a deal with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to back Lula's hand-picked minister Dilma Rousseff as the ruling coalition's presidential candidate for next year's election.

The agreement was reached during a friendly dinner at the presidential residence in Brazilian capital Brasí­lia with the participation of the main leaders of the PMDB and the PT (Workers Party), the president's own party, as well as Rousseff, who is the current chief of staff for the presidency.

PMDB chairman Michel Temer said that the "political agreement" entails support from the conservative party for the candidacy of Ms Rousseff and naming her companion in the presidential ticket.

However Temer added that the PMDB, PT "marriage" must have the approval from both parties' conventions which will take place sometime at the end of 2009 or beginning of next year.

Temer, who is currently president of the Lower House, is mentioned inside PMDB as the most probable name for the second person of the 2010 presidential ticket next to Rousseff.

"The name of the vice president (hopeful) will be decided by political circumstances to be defined next year," said Temer who underlined that more important is to bring other parties of the current government coalition in support of Ms Rousseff.

Another ten parties of all sizes, ideological background or representing interest group make up the coalition which supports Lula.

"It would be most useful to have a block of parties supporting the candidacy of the minister," pointed out Temer.

PMDB joined the government coalition back in 2005 when Lula's Workers Party was rocked by major scandals involving massive handouts to members of Congress to have bills passed. Since then the PMDB has consolidated as the most influential party in the ruling coalition.

Temer has also managed to make it the strongest electoral force in Brazil which was ratified in the governors' election of 2006 and municipal of 2008.

In 2006 when the PMDB backed the reelection of President Lula, the PMDB won 7 out of 27 governorships and in 2008 took control of 1.201 town halls out of 5.563.

The PMDB also holds the presidency of the Lower House and of the Senate with a most controversial figure, but still very influential, José Sarney, a former president of Brazil.

Congressional sources in Brasí­lia quoted in the press anticipate that at least five of the small parties from the ruling coalition will throw their weight behind Ms Rousseff.

But above all Ms Rousseff will be "Lula's candidate", since he happens to be the most popular president in recent Brazilian history with a public opinion polls sustained support of almost 80%, and could easily have forced a constitutional amendment to have him elected for a third consecutive mandate.

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil’s Perdigão and Sadia Merge Into Giant Brasil Foods

Directors of Brazilian food companies Sadia and Perdigão say that they are not predicting ...

Only 35% of Brazilians Rate Lula’s Administration as Good

The approval rating of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s personal performance fell four ...

In Brazil Corruption Launders More Money than Drug and Numbers Game Mafias

Corruption is the chief crime behind money-laundering in Brazil, in the opinion of the ...

Brazil’s Justice Minister Resigns with Italian Guerrilla Case Unsolved

Tarso Genro just resigned as Brazil’s minister of Justice to run for governor of ...

Brazil and Argentina Need to Clean House First, Says Ferrer

The alliance between Brazil and Argentina, together with the South American integration process as ...

Courts Often Restrict Press Freedom in Brazil

During a recent public hearing of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights at the ...

Exports Way Up in Brazil

The year’s accumulated surplus on the Brazilian trade balance has already beaten an historic ...

After Camping for Close to Three Years, Landless Get Land in Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s agenda today in Porto Seguro, in the ...

Cyclone or Hurricane? Brazil Cannot Decide What Hit Her

While American weather experts analyzing satellites pictures called a Brazilian storm a hurricane even ...

Serra Still in Lead of Brazil’s Presidential Race Despite Lula’s Opposition

Dilma Rousseff, presidential candidate of Brazil’s ruling coalition will continue with the current economic ...