Brazil’s Lula Joins Former Conservative Foes to Rule and Remain in Power

Walfrido dos Mares Guia, Brazil's Minister for Institutional Relations Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, would like to see his ruling coalition remain in office even if this means supporting a conservative presidential candidate in 2010, according to an official spokesperson from the Planalto Palace.

"Since the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, PMDB is the major force in the coalition, one of the alternatives for the presidential rotation in 2010 is a joint candidacy," said Walfrido dos Mares Guia, Minister for Institutional Relations in Brasí­lia this Thursday, March 12.

PMDB, the Conservative party, which is a crucial ally in the ruling coalition has been repeatedly praised by President Lula as "the most important political party in Brazil", in spite of having been his main opponent during the president's first mandate (2002/2006) and most of his political life.

However in Lula's second mandate (2006/2010) PMDB reached an agreement and joined the ruling coalition with a significant share of power since they hold the main minority in both chambers of Brazilian Congress.

However the incorporation of the PMDB has not been without headaches for Lula who has been questioned by the more traditional groups inside his Socialist oriented Workers Party, which he started in 1980 and was presidential candidate five times, running.

But this strange blend of political colors coalition won't be easy to hold together, and political analysts doubt it will survive the four years of Lula administration given the diversity of interests and ideologies.

Besides the Workers Party and the PMDB, the multicolor ruling coalition includes the Brazilian Communist Party; Brazilian Republican party (center); Democratic Labor and Brazilian Socialist (both left wing); the Greens and right wing Progress Party.

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Bank of Brazil Looking for Banks to Buy in the United States

Latin America’s biggest bank by assets, Banco do Brasil, plans the acquisition of banks ...

Brazil’s Lula Comes to Washington with His Bear-Hug Diplomacy

This Saturday, March 14, President Barack Obama will meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio ...

PT Gets No Green Backing in Sí£o Paulo, Brazil

They aren’t very big, but the tucanos will be celebrating it as a coup ...

Brazil and Rio Betting on the Year That Will Be Here to Stay: 2016

The New Year celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, should draw more than two ...

Lula Reminds Brazil’s Armed Forces Have no Saying in Selection of Defense Minister

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s former president, came out in full support of ...

Lavagem do Bonfim at Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Jesus and the African Gods in Brazil’s Northeast

It must be hard to be a religious fundamentalist in Salvador, Bahia, in the ...

Brazil Finance Minister Held Hostage and Robbed of All His Money

Brazil's Finance Minister, Guido Mantega, was taken hostage for several hours while visiting a ...

UN Scolds Brazil for Never Punishing Torture Committed During Dictatorship

Brazil is not lacking law to guarantee the human rights of all of its ...

Brazilians Living Abroad Elect 16 of Their Own to Represent Them

Brazilian expats living in several countries around the world participated in elections to choose ...

Inflation Up North Gives Brazilian Stocks the Chills

Latin American and Brazilian shares in particular were down on continued worries about U.S. inflation ...