MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula’s presidential candidate receives support from Brazil’s main party

Dilma Rousseff will be running in 2010 to succeed Lula da Silva with a huge advantage

Brazil’s main political force, Brazilian Democratic Movement, PMDB closed this week a deal with President Lula da Silva to support Minister Dilma Rousseff as the ruling coalition’s presidential candidate for next year’s election.

The deal was reached during a friendly dinner at Lula da Silva’s presidential residence with the participation of the main leaders from PMDB and the Workers Party as well as Rousseff currently cabinet chief.

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 President Lula da Silva.

“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 da Silva’s Workers Party was rocked by major scandals involving massive handouts to members of Congress to have bills passed. Since then 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 PMDB backed the re-election of President Lula da Silva, PMDB won 7 out of 27 governorships and in 2008 took control of 1.201 town halls out of 5.563.

PMDB also holds the presidency of the Lower House and of the Senate with a most controversial figure, but even more influential, Jose Sarney.

Congressional sources in Brasilia 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.