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Statement in Support to the Presidency Candidature Communist Party of Brazil March 18, 2010 http://www.pcdob.org.br, internacional@pcdob.org.br  São Paulo, March 8th, 2010 To all fellow Parties and organizations,
President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva proposed Dilma Rousseff’s candidacy to all parties supporting his government. Dilma is presently the minister in charge of coordinating governmental policies (Chief of Staff). She will probably dispute the elections with José Serra, currently the governor of the state of São Paulo and former minister of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, representing the neoliberal right-wing forces with strong support of the bourgeoisie and the biggest media corporations. Minister Dilma Rousseff took part in the organizations that resisted the military regime during the 1970’s. In the 1980’s and 1990’s she managed the economic and infrastructure fields of local governments led by the left, such as militant of Democratic Labor Party (PDT). Worker’s Party (PT), the party of President Lula, enlisted her in 2001. After Lula’s victory in 2002, Dilma took the position of Minister of Mines and Energy from 2003 to 2005, when she became Chief of Staff. In that position, she took the reins in the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), a broad investment program that is to inject more than US$ 200 billion in infrastructure, one of the landmarks of president Lula’s second term. She also managed other successful government programs. PCdoB is allied to PT since 1989 in the first elections after Brazil’s redemocratization and takes part in the government since 2003. Last February, Dilma’s name was unanimously endorsed as a candidate in the Labor Party’s 4th Congress. Please find attached the unabridged communiqué passed by PCdoB’s National Political Commission. Our fraternal salutations, PCdoB’s Secretary of International Relations  Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) stands with Dilma to advance Brazil! The October elections will be decisive to our country’s destiny. Communist Party of Brazil completed 88 years fighting for development of Brazil, supported president Lula since the early days in all his campaigns for the presidency of the Republic and now has political and administrative responsibilities in his government. Now we analyze this historical presidential campaign as it unfolds and announce our stand. We are facing two opposing political fields. The alliance of parties, popular movements and democratic business sectors led by president Lula versus political forces that supported former president Cardoso’s neoliberal government, which ruined this Brazil. There is no middle ground in this political clash. The result will either guarantee the continuity of the political cycle that president Lula started or backpedal with those who ruined Brazil applying the same recipe that aggravated the great capitalist crisis that is still shaking the world. It is the opposition of a failed past and a daring future. Brazil, under the leadership of president Lula in his two terms, entered a virtuous cycle. Democracy amplifies, our sovereignty strengthens and economic growth is allied to social progress and brotherly integration with neighbor countries. Putting the “doomed inheritance” of former president Cardoso’s party behind ourselves, we are fighting now for a new national project of development aimed at increasing production, valorizing labor and improving the living standards of millions of Brazilians. If we keep on this route Brazil may soon become one of the most progressive, strong and influent nations of the world. Luis Inácio Lula da Silva’s leading role emerges as a result of that process. He is today a popular leader who is respected both domestically and abroad. This is a trump card because his performance may contribute to unite the Nation and strengthen it in the difficult journey for its affirmation. In order to keep Brazil on its present course, president Lula chose his Chief of Staff, Dilma Rousseff, to be his candidate in the next elections. The Worker’s Party (PT) endorsed her name unanimously in the congress held in February and she is now a pre-candidate to the presidency of the Republic. During the last months, PCdoB met with Dilma several times and it became clear that there are affinities between herself and our party, as much as with the recently elected leadership of the Worker’s Party (PT). Beyond the convergence of ideas and the commitment with the development of the country, the value of a woman whose political personality was forged in the democratic struggle stands out. Leading important public activities and now as a Minister in the present government, she has shown competence, leadership and commitment to Brazil and its people. In parallel with those understandings, the evolution of the electoral circumstances confirmed our Party’s previously announced certainty regarding the needed unity in the democratic, patriotic and popular fields. That fact and the above-mentioned fruitful talks allowed PCdoB to strengthen the conviction that Dilma is credentialed to run for the election, win and govern with full success. Based on the strength of the people and on a broad alliance where the left plays a relevant role, she may ensure a period of even faster development pushed by an audacious program. As she herself proclaims “Continuity is to advance, advance, advance!” For those reasons and compelled by its commitments with Brazil and the workers, PCdoB announces that it will manifest it endorsement of Dilma Rousseff’s pre-candidacy in April, a position that will be made official in its electoral convention in July. For a new victory of the people, for continuity and the advance of development with social progress, we stand with Dilma, the first woman to become president of the Republic! São Paulo, March 5th, 2010 PCdoB’s National Political Commission |
We communicate that on past Friday, March
5th, in a meeting of the National Political Commission of the Central Committee,
the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) decided to endorse Dilma Rousseff’s
pre-candidacy to the presidency of the Republic in next October elections.