MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil main daily blasts Lula da Silva; supports opposition presidential candidate

The Brazilian president outbursts triggered an immediate reaction

One of Brazil’s leading and influential newspapers, O Estado de Sao Paulo announced its support for opposition presidential candidate Jose Serra for the coming Sunday election and described current president Lula da Silva as a “bad example” for Brazilian politics.

The newspaper made its opinion official Sunday in its main editorial under the heading “A bad example”.

The statement was in reply to a speech by President Lula da Silva last week during a political rally in support of incumbent candidate Dilma Rousseff in which he said the attitude of the Brazilian media “was shameful” since they act “as a political party”, but “don’t have the guts to admit it”.

Lula da Silva has been furious with the press for exposures in recent weeks which involved the Cabinet chief office, until last March occupied by Dillma Rousseff, but which forced the resignation of her successor Erenice Guerra, under strong pressure given the seriousness and the time when the claims occurred. Ms Guerra was Ms Rousseff’s second and was supposed “to cover her back”.

The extent of Lula da Silva’s statements triggered an immediate reply from intellectuals, jurists and the media, including the Inter American Press Association whose president Alejandor Aguirre described the Brazilian leader’s words “something dangerous”.

In its editorial the newspaper points out that “there’s an enormous difference between behaving like a political party and taking sides in an electoral dispute in which there are essential values at stake for the improvement o even the survival of democracy” in the country.

“With all the weight of responsibility in its 135 years and which has never been eluded, O Estado de Sao Paulo supports the candidacy of Jose Serra”, because of “the candidate’s merits, impeccable curriculum and for what he can represent for the re-leading of the country”.

In clear reference to a possible victory of Ms Rousseff the editorial adds that the support for Jose Serra “is also on the conviction that it is him whom has the better possibility of avoiding the worst for the country”.

All public opinion polls show Rousseff as a clear favourite in the first round of next Sunday October 3 presidential election. The Ibope poll released last Friday showed the Workers Party presidential hopeful with 50% vote intention compared to the 28% of Jose Serra.

However since only valid votes are counted, according to Ibope Rousseff could reach 55% of cast votes, more than enough to be proclaimed next Sunday the successor of Lula da Silva and the first woman president of Brazil.