Armando claims he is not afraid to confront Campos.
Senator and pre-candidate for Governor of Pernambuco, Armando Monteiro Neto (PTB), stated that he is not afraid to face the governor and pre-candidate for President of the Republic, Eduardo Campos (PSB), in an election. Armando, whose party recently left the state government's base and has been trying to attract the PT to his campaign, declared in an interview with Rádio JC News that "courage is the greatest of all virtues, especially the courage to disagree when necessary." According to the parliamentarian, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will personally engage in the elections aiming to defeat Campos in his own state.
Pernambuco 247- Senator and pre-candidate for Governor of Pernambuco, Armando Monteiro Neto (PTB), stated that he is not afraid to face the governor and pre-candidate for President of the Republic, Eduardo Campos (PSB), in an election. Armando, whose party recently left the state government's base, declared in an interview with Rádio JC News that "courage is the greatest of all virtues, especially the courage to disagree when necessary." According to the parliamentarian, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will personally engage in the elections aiming to defeat Campos in his own state.
"In 2012, Lula didn't come to Recife due to local circumstances, a municipal election with forces aligned with President Lula. Now it's different. The people of Pernambuco decide the election with their vote. We need a governor who can stand on his own two feet, who has connections outside the state. The people of Pernambuco have become more demanding. Hence, the risk of experimentation," Armando stated. Armando's candidacy, whose party is part of the base of President Dilma Rousseff's (PT) government, who is running for re-election, is seen as the best alternative for the PT, both by Lula and Dilma. Despite this, part of the party in Pernambuco argues that the party should have its own candidate and support the PTB only in a possible second round.
The experimentalism mentioned by Armando refers to the speculation surrounding who Campos will nominate to succeed him. The speculation revolves around the governor likely opting for a technically qualified candidate to run for the position representing the PSB party. The most likely candidates in this regard are the Chief of Staff, Tadeu Alencar, and the Secretary of Finance, Paulo Câmara.
The senator also said that the PT's support for his candidacy will not be imposed, but the result of negotiation. "Brasília will not impose anything, and we don't want imposition at any time, but rather broad dialogue, openness, and engagement with the PT," he said. Armando said he believes that the PTB's range of alliances for the October elections will be defined by the end of February, which includes the support of the parties that underpin the Federal Government, in order to strengthen not only his own platform but also the actions to re-elect President Dilma.