BRAZIL: Brazil has first presidential debate ahead of October vote, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was a no-show.

Record ID: 345569

  • Title: BRAZIL: Brazil has first presidential debate ahead of October vote, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was a no-show.
  • Date: 16th August 2006
  • Summary: (LATIN) RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (AUGUST 11, 2006) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF PRESIDENT LULA DURING RALLY CAMPAIGN INSERT OF PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA GIVING OUT SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA: "I won't make promises, because promises don't count. But we can grow, we are generating more jobs, we will generate more income, and this country will become a lot better."
  • Embargoed: 31st August 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACNA2TU92IPS875A3AB3QT1Q3S
  • Story Text: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was a no-show on Monday (August 14) at the first debate in the country's presidential race, leaving other candidates free to attack him in hopes of chipping away at his commanding lead in the polls.
    With polls showing Lula as the clear front-runner heading into the October 1 election, he declined the invitation to debate his five challengers live on TV Bandeirantes, saying he had to focus on his duties as head of state instead.
    The candidates openly mocked Lula's decision to stay away, frequently turning to the empty chair that had been reserved for the president while they railed at the administration's perceived shortcomings.
    Lula's closest rival in the race, Geraldo Alckmin of the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party, kicked off the event by stating his main objective is to restore hope among Brazilians. "Our absolute priority is to rescue hope," he said.
    Heloisa Helena, a self-proclaimed socialist firebrand who is gaining support among left-wing voters disillusioned with Lula's shift to the centre, claimed the only Brazilians who will lose with her presidency are bankers and corrupt politicians. "I understand that there are only two sectors that may lose if I have the honour of arriving at the presidency: bankers and corrupt politicians," said Helena.
    President Lula, who participated in a campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro in the previous week, is expected to avoid televised debates as the Workers' Party believes he should avert confrontation with other candidates.
    During his campaign rally Lula praised the accomplishments achieved during his mandate and promised to focus on creating more jobs and income for the people. "I won't make promises, because promises don't count. But we can grow, we are generating more jobs, we will generate more income, and this country will become a lot better," said the President.
    Political analyst Clovis Brigagao, said Brazil needs to go through a thorough political reform, once the present structure has become obsolete and unfeasible.
    "We are breaking with a structure that doesn't work any longer from the perspective of a political system, of an electoral system, of a party-political (perspective). We are walking towards a new (political) structure, but that still hasn't been created," said Brigagao.
    The political analyst, in reference to the growth in polls of leftist candidate Heloisa Helena, said Brazilian voters tend to select candidates who propose greater changes in terms of political structure.
    "The Brazilian voter already in various elections he ends up voting, in a certain way, also in a candidate that summarises the entire protest in relation to this political system which already is significantly rotten, is significantly corrupted, is significantly aged, for the more feasible democracy we intend to become in social model," he said.
    Although Lula still has chances of being elected already in the first round, candidates Geraldo Alckmin and especially Heloisa Helena have been growing in recent polls, increasing the possibility of a second-round election.
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