PSB seeks direct rapprochement with PTB caucus.

Paulo Emílio _PE247 - The leader of the PSB in the Chamber of Deputies and one of the main architects of the presidential project of the governor of Pernambuco, Eduardo Campos, for the presidency of the Republic, Beto Albuquerque (RS), said he believes that, despite the statements of the licensed president of the PTB, Roberto Jefferson, that the party will tend to support the re-election of President Dilma Rousseff (PT), part of the caucus should support a possible majoritarian ticket headed by the PSB.

“Those who were clinging to the trophy shouting ‘we’ve already won’ ended up sprawling out. In fact, nobody even knows where that trophy is anymore. What we’ve been doing is talking a lot, and we believe we’ve been successful in this. So much so that many parliamentarians are already showing sympathy for marching with us in 2014. These negotiations with the parliamentary groups, and not just the PTB, will intensify with the return of Congressional work,” says Albuquerque. He also reaffirmed that the PSB could renegotiate state-level alliances and even discuss the vice-presidential candidate with the PDT, in exchange for broad support for a presidential candidacy headed by the socialist party.

"August and September will be short but very intense months. There will be a lot of political activity. The entire process has practically been reset in recent weeks," assessed the PSB member. In light of these new developments, Albuquerque reiterated the PSB's desire to get closer and closer to the PDT.

According to him, although there is nothing concrete, the PSB is willing to negotiate the vice-presidential candidate and to reconsider the formation of state-level alliances in important states such as Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, and Mato Grosso. “Everything depends on an agreement. An agreement is an agreement. In exchange, we also want concrete support for our own campaigns, whether nationally or in other states. We are open to discussion,” he stated.  

The PSB member also noted that the recent allegations of irregularities in contracts signed between state governments run by the party and the company Ideia Digital do not affect the party's plans. "These allegations do not directly affect, nor do they impact at all, Eduardo Campos' government in Pernambuco. As for Ricardo Coutinho (governor of Paraíba and directly affected by the allegations published about two weeks ago by the Folha de São Paulo newspaper), we have complete confidence in him. He has been facing very strong political forces for some time now, and this is just another move in that direction," he said.

Albuquerque declined to comment on which political forces might be behind the leak of the allegations. Regarding this, he limited himself to saying only that "it wasn't us who said that anything goes during elections," he noted. The reference follows a phrase used by President Dilma Rousseff in March of this year, during the ceremony for the delivery of public housing in João Pessoa (PB). On that occasion, the Workers' Party member declared that "we can do anything during elections." However, moments later, she observed that "in the exercise of our mandate, we must respect each other, because we were elected by direct vote."