Carte blanche for Delgado to run for the Chamber.

Paulo Emílio _PE247 - The outcome of the meeting between the governor of Pernambuco and national president of the PSB and the federal deputy and pre-candidate for the presidency of the Federal Chamber, Júlio Delgado (PSB-MG), held this Thursday (17), in Recife, would have been a “carte blanche” for the socialist to confront the candidacy of the PMDB's Henrique Eduardo Alves (RN), although officially Eduardo has repeatedly reaffirmed that he would not take sides in a matter that concerns only Congress. Behind the scenes, however, the assessment is that the recent accusations against the PMDB candidate would jeopardize the management of the House with repercussions on the governability of President Dilma Rousseff (PT), should Alves assume the position. Indirectly, a victory for Delgado would further strengthen the PSB, which would make the party an indispensable ally to the president's reelection plans and to ensure the smooth voting of government projects.

According to several socialists, Alves would assume the Presidency of the House under suspicion, being obliged to give explanations about the accusations against him, should he win the election. Given this situation, the opposition parties would stand to gain the most due to the negative repercussions surrounding the issue.  

According to socialists interviewed by Folha de Pernambuco, Campos instructed his party colleague to develop a plan to unblock the Chamber's agenda in order to assist President Dilma's government throughout this year, as promised by the governor in his last meetings with the head of the national Executive branch. Delgado was also reportedly instructed to reignite debates on the growth of the Brazilian economy, which fell short of expectations in 2012, in order to create a positive agenda around the issue. According to Folha de Pernambuco, Congressman Valtenir Pereira (PSB-MT), who attended the meeting, stated that "the Chamber needs a president who has integrity and who sets the agenda for the House on important issues and not just vote on Provisional Measures."

Campos's "carte blanche" in favor of Delgado's candidacy for President of the Chamber of Deputies finds an echo among other parliamentarians in the allied base, many from the PT itself, who are reportedly bothered by the PMDB's influence over President Dilma's government. The question now is whether Delgado's candidacy has the tacit support of the Workers' Party, since Eduardo Campos has not yet announced whether or not he will be a candidate for President of the Republic in 2014.