Third-place hopeful Simone Tebet backs Lula in Brazil run-off
As expected, Senator Simone Tebet—of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) party—who came third in the election for president in the first round with 4.2 percent of the valid votes, declared support for candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—of the Workers’ Party (PT)—in the October 30 run-off. She spoke to the press in São Paulo on Wednesday afternoon (Oct 5). The endorsement is hers alone, as her party’s executive board chose to be neutral in the final stretch of the presidential race.
“I will cast my vote for him because I recognize in candidate Lula his commitment to democracy and to the Constitution, which I fail to recognize in the incumbent,” she said. Regarding the pleas for her to remain neutral in the dispute, the senator, who garnered almost 5 million votes, said the present landscape in Brazil makes no room for omission. “I will not cast a blank or a null ballot. There is no room for the omission that comes with neutrality. There is a Brazil to be built right away, to be reunited right away.” Tebet also stressed she maintains her criticism of Lula and Bolsonaro during the campaign.
The former president did not attend the address, as he had an engagement with governors and senators. In the morning, the senator met with his running mate Geraldo Alckmin and later on had lunch with Lula himself, at the house of erstwhile São Paulo Mayor Marta Suplicy, also of the MDB.
In her speech, Tebet mentioned five projects she argued should be incorporated into the PT campaign. They include federal support for municipalities to eliminate waiting lines for early childhood education, the implementation of full-time vocational courses in high school, and a BRL 5 thousand reward for pupils finishing school. She also proposed that the federal government conclude all pending elective medical appointments and surgeries, which stacked up during the pandemic, and fight indebtedness among low-income households.
The senator also advocated that, if elected, Lula should pass a law to make salaries equal for men and women with similar resumes and duties, and nominate men, women, people with disabilities, and black people as cabinet members.
PDT
The PT candidate for the presidency also met today with the head of the Democratic Labour Party, or PDT, Carlos Lupi. On Tuesday (4), the party, which had launched Ciro Gomes as its presidential hopeful, announced its support for Lula’s bid.
In remembering moments with Leonel Brizola, one of the founders of the PDT, Lula underscored the joint history of the two parties. “The PDT and Ciro are worth much more than the votes they had. Their value lie in their history, their commitment to this fight, and everything they have done for Brazil,” he said during the meeting.
Lupi stressed the role of Lula’s candidacy. “I’d like to say that you represent the hope of the Brazilian people today. The hope for better days.”
Ciro received about three percent of the total votes in the first round last Sunday (2), which represents some 3.6 million ballots.
Governors
In São Paulo, also this afternoon, Lula welcomed several allied governors, who backed the former president in the run-off. In attendance were governors Regina Sousa (Piauí state), Izolda Cela (Ceará), Fátima Bezerra (Rio Grande do Norte), Rui Costa (Bahia), Carlos Brandão (Maranhão), Clécio Luís (Amapá), Paulo Câmara (Pernambuco), Helder Barbalho (Pará), Paulo Dantas (Alagoas), João Azevedo (Paraíba). Also present were governors elected in the first round, such as Rafael Fonteles, of the PT, in Piauí, and Elmano de Freitas, also a PT member, in Ceará.
