Lula appoints a centrist as his deputy in the Brazilian elections

First Amendment: 04/09/2022 – 03:50

Alcmin, Lula’s former political rival, was appointed within the framework of an alliance between the leftist Workers’ Party (PT) and the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), which the centrist politician had recently joined.

“We need Alkmene’s experience and mine to fix Brazil,” Lula told reporters at an event in Sao Paulo.

“I am sure that Labor will agree to his name as a running mate,” the former mineralogist told Alckmin.

The presidential election is expected to be polarizing between Lula, who is leading the vote’s intentions, and far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, without a strong “third way”.

The former president has yet to confirm his candidacy to compete for his third term, but has increasingly shown himself in that role in the run-up to the election campaign.

The official period for registration of candidates does not start until July 20.

Alcumene, co-founder of Fernando Enrique Cardoso’s Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB) and a figure in the Social Democratic Party since March, faced Lula in the 2006 election and lost by a large margin in the second round.

Today, who was governor of São Paulo between 2001-2006 and 2011-2018 is Lula’s bet to expand his electoral base.

Al-Kmin, 69, promised to “unite efforts” to “reconstruct” and “re-democratize” the country “in the face of a government that attacks democracy and institutions.”

The vice presidential candidate could help attract centrist voters already disenchanted with the corruption scandals that marked Labour’s last years in government (2003-2016).

Lula justified “Two forces with different projects, and with the same principles, can come together at a time when people need it.”

“Today we have a politics of hate, in which the opponent is the enemy, not the victory, but the overthrow,” Lula said, referring to Bolsonaro’s government.

A Datafolha poll published in March indicates that the former president leads the race for Planalto Palace with 43% of voting intent in the first round of October 2, followed by Bolsonaro with 26%.

© 2022 AFP