- Title: BRAZIL: Presidential candidates debate with businessmen
- Date: 26th May 2010
- Summary: BRASILIA, BRAZIL (MAY 25, 2010) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF THE NATIONAL INDUSTRY CONFEDERATION (CNI), THE COUNTRY'S LEADING BUSINESS ORGANIZATION, WHERE BRAZIL'S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HELD A DEBATE CLOSE OF GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE, MARINA SILVA AND RULING WORKER'S PARTY CANDIDATE DILMA ROUSSEFF ROUSSEFF, SILVA AND MAIN OPPOSITION CANDIDATE OF THE PSDB PARTY, JOSE SERRA, NEXT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE CNI CLOSE OF SERRA CAMERAMEN IN EVENT ROUSSEFF ARRIVING IN NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM CAMERAMEN ROUSSEFF IN NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTER ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) RULING WORKER'S PARTY CANDIDATE, DILMA ROUSSEFF, SAYING: "I consider that the action of the Brazilian government is an action of responsibility. It is an action that leads to peace. I don't see much effectiveness in the sanctions policy. With them (sanctions) you end up harming the people. But it's impossible to ban governments from acting in such or such way." SERRA ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CLOSE OF PHOTOGRAPHER SERRA IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) MAIN OPPOSITION CANDIDATE, JOSE SERRA, SAYING: "Ahmadinejad is a person, let's say... He's on the team. In the 30s there was a team of dictators like Pitudski in Poland, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin... He, Ahmadinejad, is part of this team. He's not someone or has a government we can trust. I have a lot of suspicion towards a person who condemns people who protest against the government, including reporters." SILVA IN NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM CAMERAMAN SILVA SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE, MARINA SILVA, SAYING: "If in fact Iran decides to break with the historical tradition, break with the historical paradigm that they want to build an atomic bomb. And, if in fact, he meets the deal as the Brazilian government expects him to, that will be good. Now, we have to be very aware, because in practice what they want, in my understanding, is to make an atomic bomb and will continue to take delaying measures to win time." CAMERAMEN BY THE END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 10th June 2010 04:49
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA1N0I0SVD721ZCS8JC2ARCTJYA
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Brazil's three main presidential candidates answered questions from top business leaders on Tuesday (May 25) to air their opinions on key political and economic issues.
The debate with Brazil's ruling party presidential candidate, Dilma Rousseff, leading opposition candidate, Jose Serra, and the Green Party's Marina Silva, took place in Brasilia at the National Industry Confederation, the country's leading business organization.
While most business leaders are content with economic growth in excess of 6 percent this year, they presented Serra, Rousseff and the third-place candidate, Silva, with a laundry list of complaints.
Brazil's international competitiveness is being eroded by high taxes and interest rates, a strong currency and red tape, they said.
Rousseff pledged to eradicate poverty and propel Latin America's largest economy to developed-nation status if she wins October's election.
She said one of the key objectives to help improve Brazil's competitiveness would be to reduce public debt by maintaining a primary budget surplus of 3.3 percent of GDP.
Dubbed the iron lady, the former left-wing activist is trying to replicate the mix of mostly market-friendly policies with social welfare programs that has made Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the most popular president in recent history.
In a news conference after the debate, Rousseff who is tied to in most opinion polls with former Sao Paulo state governor Jose Serra, complimented Lula's efforts to negotiate with Iran.
"I consider that the action of the Brazilian government is an action of responsibility. It is an action that leads to peace. I don't see much effectiveness in the sanctions policy. With them (sanctions) you end up harming the people. But it's impossible to ban governments from acting in such or such way," she told reporters.
Brazil and Turkey helped broker an agreement under which Iran agreed to send low-enriched uranium abroad, reviving a fuel swap plan drafted by the United Nations with the waim of keeping Iran's nuclear activities in check.
Washington regards that deal as a delaying tactic by Iran, and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council agreed on a draft resolution to impose new sanctions on Iran.
Serra also spoke to reporters after the debate and said he would trim fat from Brazil's budget and make the central bank head follow government policy if he wins.
The former Sao Paulo state governor is running for the centrist PSDB party on a platform of lean but activist government.
Since he launched his candidacy last month Serra has been guarded about his views on economic policy, criticizing the current government but giving few detailed proposals.
Serra criticized the position taken by the Brazilian government and said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad belonged to a team of dictators.
"Ahmadinejad is a person, let's say... He's on the team. In the 30s there was a team of dictators like Pitudski in Poland, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin... He, Ahmadinejad, is part of this team. He's not someone or has a government we can trust. I have a lot of suspicion towards a person who condemns people who protest against the government, including reporters," he told a news conference.
Iran denies Western suspicions its secretive atomic energy program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability and has said it will continue enriching uranium for fuel for electricity generation.
Former rubber tapper turned environmentalist, Marina Silva, the candidate for the small Green Party, told businessmen she would run a clean government and promote sustainable development.
Silva, who stepped down as Lula's environment minister in May 2008, pledged to maintain economic policies that have given Brazil economic growth and stability in recent years, such as inflation control, a floating currency and fiscal discipline to reduce public debt.
Silva said she also favored a more cautious stance towards Iran.
"If in fact Iran decides to break with the historical tradition, break with the historical paradigm that they want to build an atomic bomb. And, if in fact, he meets the deal as the Brazilian government expects him to, that will be good. Now, we have to be very aware, because in practice what they want, in my understanding, is to make an atomic bomb and will continue to take delaying measures to win time," she said.
Currently Silva has only 8-12 percent of voter support in opinion polls, that is, 25-30 points behind Serra and Rousseff. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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