In an interview with radio stations on Wednesday, December 8, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared he thinks that instead of reelection the term of office for the president should be five years.
"Brazil could have a five-year term of office without reelection. That way the president would not have to worry about negotiating his reelection," said Lula.
With regard to the 2006 election, Lula did not deny he could run again. But he did point out that when he was a deputy in 1988 he voted against a clause in the constitution being written at that time that would have permitted reelection of the President.
"I am against reelection as a matter of principle. I voted against it in the 1988 Constitution," he said.
He added that at the time he regretted seeing the president’s term of office reduced from five to four years.
"Then [1988] I was leading the polls with 40% and they were afraid of me so they reduced the president’s term of office."
Lula said he was still thinking about his candidacy. "At the moment there are candidates all over the place. There are more candidates for president than there are voters," he said.
Lula’s live interview with radio stations was the last in a series of three that began in November.
Agência Brasil
