For Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the former Brazilian president who preceded president José Inácio Lula da Silva, the presidential pre-candidate Dilma Rousseff is no more than a “puppet” manipulated by Lula.
Cardoso from the main opposition party, Brazilian Social-democrats, PSDB addressing militants at a political rally described the ruling Workers Party, PT, candidate for October’s presidential election as a dull bureaucrat with no political standing and who is “simply a Lula’s puppet.”
The former president anticipated that cabinet chief Dilma will not benefit from Lula’s popularity who has over 80% approval, according to the latest public opinion polls.
“The fact is the Brazilian president has been forced to take command of Rousseff’s campaign,” insisted Cardoso in a report from Folha de S, Paulo.
President Lula has been actively participating in the inauguration of public works next to Rousseff and has promised to continue doing it, thus exposing the pre-candidate to Brazilian public opinion.
“Lula is acting as a ventriloquist for the shy Rousseff,” said Cardoso.
The PT and the PSDB are considered the two forces with the best chances of winning next October 3 presidential election in Brazil.
The PSDB candidate, São Paulo governor José Serra, a workaholic, who lost to Lula in 2002, is leading in public opinion polls.
However since the Brazilian president took command of the campaign the 20 points difference over Dilma Rousseff has been contracting and Cardoso moved in to the stage.
Last Sunday in an article published in the São Paulo media and in Brazzil Magazine Cardoso called Lula a “serial liar” of coarse manners and language who has repeatedly shown his “intolerance proclivity.”
“Lula is so obsessed with the presidential campaign and has lowered the discussion level to a pack of lies, he has become a serial liar,” fond of coarse expressions and bouts.
But, “behind these bouts of arrogance we can easily identify the ghost of intolerance” wrote Cardoso in reference to the Lula da Silva style. “Mr. President you can’t win elections with a rear-view mirror,” he added
Lula is known to have instructed his ministers to polarize the presidential campaign between the PT and the PSDB, stating that when Cardoso left office in 2002 he had a very low approval and never had an interest in social policies.
PT delegates held a meeting over the weekend to plan the strategy for Dilma Rousseff’s campaign.
On Wednesday, January 10 PT will be celebrating its 30 anniversary and a week later is scheduled to hold its national congress, the party’s main forum, when 1.400 delegates will discuss government programs and later proclaim Dilma Rousseff as the presidential candidate, and hopefully the successor of Lula in the Planalto Palace.
