"Those who are at the base have an obligation to support Dilma."
The statement comes from the president of the PT (Workers' Party) in Bahia, Jonas Paulo; he is responding to declarations by the new Vice-President of Government at Banco do Brasil, Benito Gama, that his appointment to the position does not imply automatic support from the PTB (Brazilian Labour Party) for President Dilma Rousseff's reelection bid in 2014; "I cannot be part of a government and not support its candidacy. When I join a party, obviously, I need to be there to incorporate its project," says Jonas.
Bahia 247
The statements by the Vice President of Government at Banco do Brasil, Benito Gama, that his appointment to the position does not imply "automatic support" from the PTB party for President Dilma Rousseff's reelection bid in 2014, continue to have negative repercussions.
Benito stated that the party that most "needs a ministry" is the one that "needs a ministry," and in an interview with the newspaper Tribuna da Bahia, he considered supporting Eduardo Campos from Pernambuco, of the PSB party.
After members of the PTB itself refuted the statements made by the party president, the PT in Bahia also repudiated the stance of the new member of President Dilma's government.
Also in an interview with Tribuna, the state president of the PT, Jonas Paulo, said that those who are part of the government's base "have an obligation" to defend and support the candidate of the party that is in power.
"I can't be part of a government and not support its candidate. When I join a party, obviously, I need to be there to embrace its project. I can't comment on Benito Gama's statements because I haven't seen them, but I affirm that this is untrue. Those who are part of the government's base need to defend the project and the reelection until the end."
The only PTB representative in Bahia, Antônio Brito repudiated Benito's statements made it clear that he is not sovereign in party decisions.
"I am awaiting the government's final position, but the tendency is for the party to support President Dilma. Clearly, Benito Gama is currently leading the party, and the party will obviously take a position on the decisions he makes." In other words, the congressman makes it clear that Benito is not the sole leader of the PTB.
Brito, who is the president of the PTB in Bahia, has already guaranteed the party's support for the candidate that Governor Jaques Wagner (PT) chooses to try to succeed him in 2014.