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Changes, Surprises in Brazil
Vote
Results of the October 1
elections in Brazil released so
far brought changes that even
surprised the voters.
The new Congress that will serve
until 2014, with 81 senators and
513 deputies, will have a new
composition affecting the
previously major parties.
Of the senators, six are from
PFL (Liberal Front), five PSDB
(Social Democrats), four from
PMDB (Brazilian Democrat
Movement), three PTB (Labor),
two from the PT (Workers Party),
plus seven from other political
groups.
Joining the 54 senators elected
in 2002, who remain until 2010,
are 19 from PMDB, PFL (19), PT
(14), PSDB (11), PDT (5), PSB
(4), PTB (3), PL (3), PPB (1),
PPS (1) and PSD (1).
As the PFL is now the party with
greater senatorial
representation, it will preside
over the senate.
The House is now led by the PMDB
with 89 deputies, followed by
the PT (83), PFL (65), PSDB (65)
and 17 others that occupy from
42 to one seat in decreasing
order.
Another surprise was the
non-reelection of PT Deputy
Antonio Carlos, who presided
over the most efficient
congressional Investigation
Committee that sent one hundred
congress people to the Ethics
Committee for embezzling public
funds.
Meanwhile, the presidential
runoff campaign, which should
officially take off on Thursday,
already began with two opportune
TV appearances by President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva.
The PT candidate for reelection,
who did not achieve the 50
percent plus one vote needed to
win Sunday˘s first round,
offered a press conference
Monday.
The scandal that broke in mid
September, in the middle of the
campaign, involving Lula and
close PT officials in an alleged
purchase of reports to damage
opposition politicians, as well
as his absence from the last TV
debate are seen as an
inexcusable mistake of his
advisors.
The statesman repeatedly used
the term ethics in his two brief
appearances on the evening TV
news of O Globo network.
For political analysts, this is
a strategy to give a new boost
to the PT to guarantee that
voters reject rumors planted by
the opposition, affecting the
first round.
On Sunday, Lula won 48.61
percent followed by Social
Democrat Geraldo Alckmin, with
41.64 percent.
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