Hopes for Lula's New Term

Hopes for Lula's New Term
Brazil's growth depends on economic reforms
Antonio Carlos Rix (carlosrix)

Published 2006-10-31

Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has practically repeated his voting success of 2002 when he was elected president of Brazil for the first time. Now he has four more years to make his name good in the history of Brazilian presidents.

President Lula got 61.27 percent of the valid votes (with 52.8 million votes) four years ago. Now, with 58.3 million votes that represent 60.83 percent of the valid votes he has done even better.

Proportionally, it was in Brasilia Federal District that the voting for Lula grew most. It jumped from 499,407 votes to 765,008, 53 percent in the second turn. Alckmin lost votes in 23 units of the federation in relation to his first turn, he had a weak performance.

Different sectors of the economy have evaluated as positive the re-election of President Lula, but they want reforms so that the country can grow in the next four years.

For Armando Monteiro Neto, president of the Nacional Confederation of Industry, the priority of the new government must be fiscal reformation. "It is necessary to grow more and better. It is necessary to complete the cycle of reforms and, over all, to prioritize the pro-growth agenda," he said.

Marcio Cypriano, president of the Febraban (Brazilian Federacy of Banks) and of the Bradesco (private bank) said that "it is necessary to insist on a new cast of reforms, starting with tax. It is necessary for the economy to reduce its costs to produce more and to extend the base of the fiscal collection. Work reform also is vital so that the companies produce new job vacancies."

Abram Szajman, president of the Fecomercio-SP (Federacy of the Commerce of the State of Sao Paulo), says that the challenge for the president will be to promote economic growth more efficiently, in accordance with a new insertion of Brazil in the world market. "To reach out next to the modern economies of the world is the task necessary to fight the delay and to improve our conditions of life," said Szajman.

Once again the Brazilian people give their vote of trust to Lula.

The hope of many is that the president uses to his advantage this chance, yes, a chance to clean a government still spotted by many scandals. The most recent of them: illicit money used to try to purchase a false dossier against rival presidential candidate Geraldo Alckmin. The case resulted directly in the change of the direction of Lula's PT party, and punishment of the militants involved just weeks before the voting of this last Sunday. This was the main reason Alckmin actually came second.

President Lula and his allies have evidently been able to revert the unfavorable picture in time for the polls. Now it remains to discover if the federal prosecutors and federal police will take these cases to their conclusion point: punish the ones involved. The fact is, the case of the dossier by itself could be enough reason for the impeachment of President Lula.

Brazilians want to see justice done. Will it happen?! Not likely I think, only time will tell.
©2006 OhmyNews

Total valid votes: 95.838.220
Lula (PT) 58.295.042 votes. 60,83%
Alckmin (PSDB) 37.543.178 votes. 39,17%