MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil’s main political party ratifies support for incumbent presidential candidate

Michel Temer, head of the Brazilian Lower House

Brazil’s head of the Lower House, Michel Temer will complete the incumbent presidential ticket with Dilma Rousseff for next October’s presidential election when the eight year two-mandates of Lula da Silva will be ending.

Temer, 70, belongs to the Brazilian Democratic Movement party, PMDB, which has a majority representation in Congress and has been the most influential in President Lula da Silva’s government. Slightly conservative and extremely pragmatic in political terms, PMDB since 2005 has ensured Lula da Silva’s and Dilma Rousseff Workers Party a congressional majority enabling the passing of legislation.

Temer was acclaimed unanimously during a meeting of the party’s executive committee celebrated in Brasilia. The candidacy is to be made official when the convention meets next June.

The vice-president of the incumbent ticket for next October has been head of the Lower House three times since 2001 and anticipated “enthusiasm and caution” following his nomination.

“I feel overwhelmed and most enthusiastic but will be a vice-president very much in the framework of the federal constitution. I will be extremely discreet and cautious as is the role of the man behind the president”, said Temer.

According to the latest opinion polls Rousseff has virtually the same vote intention as her main rival Jose Serra, former governor of the state of Sao Paulo and a formidable competitor whose poll showings have been more stable. Ms Rousseff leaps forward when she is seeing campaigning next to Brazil’s most popular president Lula da Silva.

Temer’s PMDB is the party with the greatest support of all those in President Lula da Silva’s coalition, which was ratified in the 2006 election for governors and the municipals of 2008. PMDB holds the largest minorities in the Lower House and the Senate, seven out of 27 state governorships and 1.201 of 5.563 city governments.