Friboi backs down to avoid premature confrontation with Iris.
Mayors from the PMDB party are abandoning their plans to push for the party's nomination for the 2014 state government election in the coming weeks, in accordance with the businessman's prior strategy; party leaders are scrambling to extinguish the fire that is spreading with the mere suggestion of a dispute within the party.
Goiás247_ There was an expectation that the week would be tense for the PMDB. The meeting of mayors last Monday (9) could be the first aggressive blow from Júnior Friboi against Iris Rezende. But the businessman didn't even show up and the mayors didn't make public displays of support for Júnior – as was expected. Dona Iris did appear, having been vetoed by the mayors as a sort of requirement for the meeting to take place. The presence of the congresswoman, Iris's wife, means that in this first round, Iris Rezende's group won.
The atmosphere at the meeting was one of peace and agreement. Iris's supporters realized that Júnior Friboi had backed down and preferred, at least for now, to avoid a bloody conflict with Iris. He made what is called a tactical retreat. "The event was very positive for the PMDB, with positive conversations, encouragement, and certainty that we are on the right track," assessed the state president of the party, Deputy Samuel Belchior.
In the article about the event posted on the PMDB website, the party begins by taking a jab at the press. "The press sometimes spoke of heated tempers, but for us there was never any arousal. What exists in reality within the PMDB today is an immense desire to unite forces and seek a common project for Goiás, in the sense of internal strengthening and the consequent realization of this project."
The PMDB's strategy remains the same: publicly denying internal tension, but all PMDB members know and are discussing behind the scenes that there is indeed a dispute between Iris and Júnior Friboi. The party has scheduled a new meeting of mayors for October 14th, when it will debate the rules that will be used to choose the candidate.
Returning to Monday's meeting, not even the most radical mayors in favor of Júnior Friboi, such as Luiz Juvêncio, mayor of Guapó, dared to make a more aggressive speech. Juvêncio said it was important for everyone to introduce themselves and for the party to gradually begin making its decisions.
Outside of the PMDB
Behind the scenes, things are heating up. The latest gossip is that Júnior Friboi may leave Iris Rezende's party this year if he realizes he has no chance of running for governor. The businessman's absence from the meeting was already felt, and some say he felt the blow and definitively realized that Iris Rezende is the one in charge of the PMDB.