The PDT announced today (4) support for the PT candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the second round of the presidential elections. According to the party’s president, Carlos Lupi, the decision of the national leadership and the party’s parliamentarians was unanimous.
According to Lupi, Lula’s program has more affinity with the ideas of the PDT than that of his opponent, Jair Bolsonaro, of the PL. “Support what is closest to us, which is Lula’s candidacy, which I call the 12 plus 1 candidacy”, he said, playing with the numbers of the two acronyms, 12 pedetista and 13, for the PT.
The PDT requested that Lula’s candidacy include three proposals in the government’s program: the minimum income, the renegotiation of small business debts and the repeal of labor laws that harm Brazilian workers.
The party’s presidential candidate, Ciro Gomes, who came in fourth in the first round of the elections, also recorded a video endorsing his support for Lula, despite maintaining a critical stance towards the candidate.
“I regret that the democratic path has narrowed to such an extent that Brazilians are left with two options that, in my view, are unsatisfactory,” he said. He also stated that he will not accept positions in an eventual PT government.
Ciro had just over 3% of the votes among voters who attended the polls last Sunday (2), totaling the support of 3.6 million people.
The Citizenship party also decided, at a meeting of the National Executive, this Tuesday, to declare its support for Lula’s candidacy in the second round. The legend is united in a party federation with the PSDB. The PSDB-Cidadania federation was part of the coalition supporting candidate Simone Tebet (MDB), from whom a declaration of support for Lula is also expected in the second phase of the elections in the coming days. The senator came in third in the presidential elections, with 4.16% of valid votes.
“Cidadania has never stopped taking a stand, even while respecting, as it will in this case, the individual positions of its militants and leaders. And it would not be now, in this serious moment of national life, that the party would assume the condition of a mere spectator of reality. It is necessary to defeat Bolsonaro democratically,” the party said in a post on social media.
Lula’s agenda
In the afternoon, former President Lula met with Franciscan friars in the capital of São Paulo. At the time, asked by journalists, he commented on the decision of the current governor of São Paulo, Rodrigo Garcia (PSDB), who was out of the 2nd round, to support the reelection of Jair Bolsonaro.
“The decision is something totally free for each political party. We are in the process of talking with other political forces. Today, the PDT declared its support for our candidacy. [Gilberto] Kassab, Thursday, I will receive a group of senators who come to communicate their support”, he commented.
Lula said he is still going to look for personalities outside politics, civil society, and that he will start traveling the country next Friday (7th). “I intend to pass in all the states that have 2nd shift [para governador]in this campaign, and we will try to gain as much support as possible”, he pointed out.
The former president, who seeks his third term, returned to praise his performance last Sunday, when he led the 1st round with 48.4% of the valid votes, and showed confidence in winning this year’s electoral campaign. “It has been proven that 60% of Brazilian society refused President Bolsonaro”.
*Updated article at 7:27 pm to include the candidate’s afternoon agenda and Cidadania’s support for Lula.
*Collaborated with Pedro Rafael Vilela.
