Rousseff and Temer work to ease tension between government's base parties

Brazil's acting president, Michel Temer, expressed satisfaction on Tuesday (Mar. 11) over a recent statement given by president Dilma Rousseff concerning his party, PMDB, which demands government positions in exchange for political support.

Speaking to reporters in Chile, Rousseff said the party “is all joy” for her government. Temer in turn noted that his party “supports and helps the government,” and boasted that president Rousseff “was crystal clear in her statement”.

On Monday (10), Dilma had met with PMDB leaders to discuss the formation of state-level alliances with her party, the Worker's Party (PT), for the general elections on October 5.

This year's elections will choose president and state governor's posts, plus all seats in the Chamber of Deputies and a third of the Senate's.

The two parties are pursuing state-level alliances in order to elect the largest possible number of congressional seats.

As an attempt to improve the relationship between the two key parties that support her government, Rousseff hinted that PT could possibly give up candidacies for the states of Maranhão, Goiás, Alagoas, Paraíba, Tocantins, and Rondônia in favor of PMDB.

The final alliances will only be officially disclosed at party conventions, which will take place beginning on June 10. Until then, PT and PMDB leaders will continue to meet to negotiate possible agreements.

Translated by Augusto Queiroz / Mayra Borges