Senator Simone Tebet (MDB-MS), who came third in the presidential elections in the first round, with 4.2% of valid votes, declared support for candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in the second round. She made a public statement to the press this Wednesday afternoon (5), in São Paulo. The senator’s support is individual, since the national executive of the MDB decided for neutrality in the final phase of the presidential elections. 
“I will cast my vote in him, because I recognize, in the candidate Lula, his commitment to democracy and the Constitution, which I do not know in the current president”, he highlighted. The senator, who obtained almost 5 million votes, said that the country’s moment does not allow for omission. “I will not annul my vote, I will not vote blank, there is no need to omit neutrality. There is a Brazil to be built immediately, to be immediately reunited”. Tebet made a point of saying that she maintains the criticism made of Lula and Bolsonaro in the elections.
Former President Lula did not participate in Tebet’s announcement because he had a meeting with governors and senators. In the morning, the senator met with the candidate for vice on the ticket, Geraldo Alckmin, and then had lunch with Lula, at the house of former São Paulo mayor Marta Suplicy, who is from the MDB.
During a speech in support of Lula, Simone Tebet listed a list of five projects that she wants to be incorporated into the PT campaign. They include support from the federal government for municipalities to eliminate lines in early childhood education for children aged 3 to 5 years and for states to implement full-time technical secondary education, rewarding young people who complete secondary education with a savings account, in the amount of R$ 5 thousand per student. She also proposed that the federal government eliminate the queue of consultations and elective surgeries, delayed during the pandemic, and solve the problem of indebtedness for families earning up to three minimum wages.
The senator also proposed that, if elected, Lula enact a law to equalize salaries between men and women who perform, with a similar curriculum, the same functions and appoint a plural ministry formed by men, women, people with disabilities and black men and women.
FHC
Another support received by former president Lula on Wednesday was the declaration of vote by former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB), a historic opponent of the PT in the 1990s. “In this second round, I vote for a history of struggle for democracy and social inclusion. I vote for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva”, announced FHC on social media. Lula thanked his former political opponent for the message. “For democracy and social inclusion. Thank you for your vote and trust. Brazil needs dialogue and peace.”
PDT
The PT candidate for the presidency also met today with the president of the PDT, Carlos Lupi. On Tuesday (4), the party, which had launched Ciro Gomes to run for the Planalto Palace, announced support for Lula’s candidacy.
Recalling moments with Leonel Brizola, one of the founders of the PDT, Lula highlighted the joint history of the two parties. “PDT and Ciro are worth much more than the votes they had. They are worth it for their history, for their commitment to this struggle, for things they have already done for Brazil,” he said during the meeting.
Lupi stressed the importance of Lula’s candidacy. “I wanted to say that you represent today the hope of the Brazilian people. Hope for better days.”
Ciro got about 3% of the total votes in the first round of elections.
governors
Still this afternoon, Lula received in São Paulo several allied governors, who declared their support for the former president in the second round contest. Names such as governors Regina Sousa (Piauí), Izolda Cela (Ceará) and Fátima Bezerra (Rio Grande do Norte), governors Rui Costa (Bahia), Carlos Brandão (Maranhão), Clécio Luís (Amapá), Paulo Câmara ( Pernambuco), Helder Barbalho (Pará), Paulo Dantas (Alagoas) and João Azevedo (Paraíba). Governors who were elected in the first round were also present, such as Rafael Fonteles (PT), in Piauí and Elmano de Freitas (PT), in Ceará.
Article updated at 6:49 pm to increase FHC’s support for Lula’s candidacy.
