BRAZIL: Presdiential election campaigning ends; Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fails to attend televised debate between election candidates
Record ID:
346145
BRAZIL: Presdiential election campaigning ends; Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fails to attend televised debate between election candidates
- Title: BRAZIL: Presdiential election campaigning ends; Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fails to attend televised debate between election candidates
- Date: 29th September 2006
- Summary: (BN06) RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (SEPTEMBER 28, 2006) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CANDIDATE GERALDO ALCKMIN OF BRAZILIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRACY PARTY DURING CAMPAIGN WALK AT COPACABANA BEACH INSERT OF GERALDO ALCKMIN (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) GERALDO ALCKMIN OF BRAZILIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRACY SAYING: "An inefficient government takes away the efficiency of the companies. Brazil is losing competitivity." GERALDO ALCKMIN WALKING THROUGH STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) GERALDO ALCKMIN OF BRAZILIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRACY SAYING: "A combination of measures must be taken for Brazil to go forward." GERALDO ALCKMIN WALKING THROUGH STREETS FOLLOWED BY SUPPORTERS GERALDO ALCKMIN SALUTING PEOPLE SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (SEPTEMBER 28, 2006) (REUTERS) PRESIDENT AND CANDIDATE LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA ARRIVING FOR CAMPAIGN RALLY LULA SIGNING A FLAG CLOSE OF LULA'S FACE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA SAYING: "We began to conquer space, to conquer space. Now, we approved, Mrs. Marisa (referring to his wife), even the Maria da Penha law. Do you know what the Maria da Penha law is? A husband who hits his wife goes to jail." (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA SAYING: "After (voting for) governor (when person is in voting process they vote for governor, then they vote for president) press and confirm, for God's sake. Don't get tired because the last one (in the voting process) is the president of the republic. Press 13 (which is Lula's candidate number) and confirm so that we can win these elections. Thank you very much guys! See you after the victory, if it is God's will. Until next Sunday." VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGN RALLY WITH LARGE PUBLIC RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (SEPTEMBER 29, 2006) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PREPARATION FOR TV GLOBO'S FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE VARIOUS OF CANDIDATES CRISTOVAO BUARQUE, HELOISA HELENA AND GERALDO ALCKMIN POSING FOR PHOTOS PLACE RESERVED FOR PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA EMPTY GERALDO ALCKMIN NEXT TO LULA'S EMPTY CHAIR (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) GERALDO ALCKMIN OF BRAZILIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRACY SAYING: "It's a shame that Lula hasn't shown up for the debate. This is a disrespectful and authoritarian posture and I think he will receive a message on Sunday from the Brazilian people about this absence." ALKMAN LEAVING
- Embargoed: 14th October 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAEEQV5WAD5FSRDVNZJ3ZYNP1HK
- Story Text: Brazilian presidential candidates closed their campaigning programmes on Thursday (September 28) in accordance with Brazilian law, which states that campaign rallies must end 72 hours before voting begins.
Geraldo Alckmkin of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party came to Rio de Janeiro for a final TV debate among candidates and decided to take advantage of the pleasant weather to walk down sunny Copacabana beach followed by some supporters.
During his walk Alckmin said the inefficient government is getting in the way of Brazilian companies, causing the country to lose competitivity. "An inefficient government takes away the efficiency of the companies. Brazil is losing competitivity," said the candidate.
The main opposition candidate also said that a series of measures have to be taken so that Brazil can advance. "A combination of measures must be taken for Brazil to go forward," he said.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed supporters at a final campaign rally in the factory town where he began his political career, having made a last minute decision not to attend to TV Globo's last debate.
Thousands of people dressed in red Workers' Party shirts waved flags and chanted and danced to show their support for Lula to win a second term on Sunday (October 1).
During his campaign rally Lula said his government approved a law that states that husbands who commit aggression against their wives are yo be imprisoned. "We began to conquer space, to conquer space. Now, we approved, Mrs. Marisa (referring to his wife), even the Maria da Penha law. Do you know what the Maria da Penha law is? A husband who hits his wife goes to jail," he said emphatically.
Lula took the opportunity to plead for more votes and ended his speech in a positive tone saying that if it is God's will, he will return on Sunday to celebrate his victory.
"After (voting for) governor (when person is in voting process they vote for governor, then they vote for president) press and confirm, for God's sake. Don't get tired because the last one (in the voting process) is the president of the republic. Press 13 (which is Lula's candidate number) and confirm so that we can win these elections. Thank you very much guys! See you after the victory, if it is God's will. Until next Sunday," he said.
Lula returned to his political roots to end his campaign in Sao Bernardo do Campo, an industrial city on the edge Sao Paulo where he gained fame in the late 1970s as a union leader and now frequently spends weekends in his modest apartment.
His aides said he had considered not attending the rally and participating instead in a live television debate with his rivals in Rio de Janeiro.
Lula did not attend the first two presidential debates and declined a third debate invitation to avoid criticism from his opponents.
Alckmin has begun to narrow the predicted gap between himself and Lula, raising the prospect of a run-off vote on October 29.
Lula's absence in the last televised debates opened way for massive attacks from three other top contenders for presidency.
Lula's closest challenger, Geraldo Alckmin, attacked Lula government's record in all key economic spheres, adding that corruption was behind Brazil's failure to move ahead.
When the debate ended, Alckmin told reporters that the fact that Lula did not attend the television debate would have a negative effect on his ratings in the election.
"It's a shame that Lula hasn't shown up for the debate. This is a disrespectful and authoritarian posture and I think he will receive a message on Sunday from the Brazilian people about this absence," Alckmin said.
Two polls on Wednesday night showed Lula with just enough votes to win the election outright, helped by broad support among the poor and conservative economic policies that have calmed investors. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None