MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Electoral Tribunal confirms president Lula's fine.

Brazil's Electoral Board Tribunal confirmed this Thursday the fine (equivalent to 17,000 US dollars) imposed on President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for having campaigned and requested voters to support the Workers Party candidate for mayor of the city of Sao Paulo.

The Electoral Tribunal voted five/one rejecting an appeal from the General Attorney's Office which tried to annul the fine arguing that on requesting votes for the re-election of Martha Suplicy, Mr. Lula da Silva was expressing his freedom of speech fundamental right protected by the Brazilian Constitution.

However the Electoral Tribunal stood by the original ruling of a Federal Electoral Magistrate who considered that the president's speech last September 18 in Sao Paulo during the inauguration of a clinic was "an act of electoral propaganda" favouring incumbent Ms. Suplicy.

In spite of the presidential speech, Ms. Suplicy was defeated in the first round by opposition candidate Jose Serra who according to the latest opinion polls remains ahead for the coming run off next October 31.

President Lula da Silva who publicly apologized for having requested votes for Ms. Suplicy made no comments when the Electoral Tribunal ruling was made public. The president still has a last appeal before the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, but it's not certain he will proceed along this path. He was criticized by leaders of his own party for having participated openly in the campaign and later appealed the fine.

Although Mr. Lula da Silva's Workers Party managed an overall successful result in the first round of municipal elections capturing some of the country's main cities, Sao Paulo, Brazil's industrial hub is by far the greatest objective. Even more now that the president himself has turned Sao Paulo's City Hall into a possible liability for his administration