RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The potential for the Workers’ Party (PT) to be left out of the São Paulo mayoralty dispute, is the argument now used by leftists and allies to try to persuade former Mayor Fernando Haddad to join the municipal dispute this year.
The PT has not yet officially opened negotiations with other leftist parties for the elections in São Paulo. This weekend, the party’s national leadership will define the PT’s alliance policy for 2020.
However, in preliminary talks, some of PT’s potential allies say they will only agree to support the party if Haddad is the candidate in a coalition ticket with former mayor Marta Suplicy, currently without any party affiliation.
Haddad has said repeatedly that he will not be a candidate. Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has respected the former mayor’s wish, saying there is no point in forcing Haddad to run if he has no “urge” to join the dispute.
However, the ex-president has also said the scenario is “open” in the country’s largest city. According to reports, Lula said the leftist party primaries, with seven candidates registered, may not be enough to sustain a candidacy.
At the PT’s state directorate meeting on Saturday, there were cries of “Haddad for Mayor”.
“Because he’s a great leader, his name will always be remembered until the end. We can’t help it,” said Laércio Ribeiro, PT’s municipal president in São Paulo.
Source: Estadão Conteúdo