Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday made
his last free televised campaign speech ahead of the Oct. 1
presidential election by emphasizing the grassroots character of
his government.
Calling for a peaceful election, Lula said Brazil was now very
different, as "never before has there been such a good combination
of social and economic factors."
Appearing in his official residence and set against a background
of images of a working class festival and pictures of his party
colleagues shaking hands, he admitted both successes and mistakes
during his soon-to-end term.
"My errors have shown me which way I should not go, and the
successes have shown me how to move forward in a different, better
way," he said.
An opinion poll published on Wednesday night showed that 53
percent of people surveyed supported Lula's re-election bid despite
a scandal over his alleged role in smearing an opposition
politician.
The poll, which interviewed 7,528 people in 368 municipalities,
also showed his closest rival, Social Democratic Party candidate
Geraldo Alckmin, received 35 percent of the vote.
As the incumbent president's votes outnumber the total votes for
the other candidates combined, the poll showed that Lula was set to
be reelected in the first round of voting on Oct. 1.
By law, a candidate has to gain more than 50 percent of the
valid vote for an outright victory in the election.
The survey indicated that Lula's approval rating had witnessed a
slight slip after the scandal emerged last week. The president has
replaced his campaign manager and a security aide in a bid to
defend himself. The country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal has
launched an investigation into the scandal.
If the president is found guilty, he, together with his running
partner, Vice President Jose Alencar, will be barred from standing
in the election, according to an earlier statement on the court's
website.
However, the investigation is unlikely to be closed before the
poll. If Lula is re-elected but later found guilty, he could still
lose his presidency, making the runner-up in the election the
Brazilian president.
(Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2006)
