Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s former cabinet chief, Dilma Rousseff, was officially proclaimed Sunday as the ruling Workers’ Party (PT) presidential candidate for the coming October 3 elections.
Described as an “iron lady” by her close aides, she’s an economist, former guerrilla in her youth and will have as her running companion Michel Temer from the Brazilian Movement Democratic Party, PMDB, the largest in Brazil.
“Becoming the first woman president of Brazil is our main objective,” she said addressing the 1.300 delegates at the Workers party convention in Brasília, standing next to President Lula and Congress member Temer.
“Following on the path of this great man (Lula), Brazil will be ruled by a woman, a woman that will continue with Lula’s Brazil, which will make Lula’s Brazil into a Brazil with a woman’s soul and heart”, said the candidate.
Without advancing details of her government program, Rousseff did confirm that she wants to reduce the tax burden for investors and guarantee economic stability, besides “to continue with the transformation of the educational system”.
In most public opinion polls Rousseff and opposition candidate José Serra figure technically tied in vote intention at 37% and with 42% in the event of a run-off. This is the tightest election in recent Brazilian history.
Although with record breaking popularity President Lula is barred from running for a third consecutive period. He can nevertheless try again in 2014, which he has announced as most possible.
Meantime he is making all efforts possible to transmit to the relatively unknown Rousseff in her first electoral experience, his unbelievable support in the eighties after eight years in office.
