Reuters: Wagner will not accept being Plan B.
A Reuters report indicates that former Bahia governor Jacques Wagner will not accept the role of a potential Plan B, even if called upon by former president Lula and the party leadership. In recent days, the PT (Workers' Party) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Lula until the end.
247 - A Reuters report indicates that former Bahia governor Jacques Wagner will not accept the role of a potential Plan B, even if called upon by former president Lula and the party leadership. In recent days, the PT (Workers' Party) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Lula until the end. Read below:
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Pressed by the Workers' Party (PT) and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva himself to accept being the party's Plan B, in the event of the possible disqualification of Lula's presidential candidacy, former governor of Bahia Jaques Wagner has reportedly decided that he cannot accept the position, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The former governor is a pre-candidate for the Senate in Bahia, in an election considered practically certain in the state, and from the beginning he rejected the idea of being a Plan B. However, as Reuters showed, his name as a substitute for Lula has grown within the party in recent weeks, fueled by the former president himself.
Lula even considered the idea of a ticket with Wagner having the owner of Coteminas, Josué Gomes, as his running mate. In this case, the businessman, son of Lula's vice-president José Alencar, would represent the business sector in the Southeast, while Wagner would represent the Northeast, in a composition reminiscent of the former president's ticket in 2002 and 2006.
"Every week he (Wagner) receives people from the party leadership who discuss this matter, including messages from the former president," said a source close to Wagner.
The former governor and former minister reportedly wavered and promised to consider a request from Lula, but the answer is expected to be negative.
Another source, speaking to Reuters, confirms that Wagner is moving towards denying the possibility of taking on the PT's Plan B to the former president and the party. He reportedly plans to speak with Lula in the coming days.
"The party also wants something more formal, even to free itself up to look for another alternative," said the first source.
The other alternative considered so far is former São Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad, coordinator of Lula's government program and currently one of the figures closest to the former president. However, Haddad has difficulty gaining internal support.
Most members of the Workers' Party (PT) see him as lacking political savvy and politically unsavory—hence, in fact, the pressure for Wagner to accept the position. The former governor of Bahia would be more skillful, say PT members.
"Wagner would bring the Northeast, that's for sure. Now, Haddad might not have as much influence even in the Southeast," said a member of the Workers' Party.
This Friday, at a PT event in the city of Teixeira de Freitas (BA), the source said that Senator Otto Alencar (PSD), who supports the party in the state, even stated that he "was with Lula" and, if the former president cannot run, he would be with Wagner. Next to him, the former governor simply smiled.
The Workers' Party (PT) will hold its convention to confirm Lula as its candidate on August 4th, and everything points towards having a vice-presidential candidate from the party itself, since alliance negotiations have not progressed so far.
By law, the substitute could be Lula's eventual running mate, but it's not mandatory. The party can include another name on the ticket if the former president's candidacy is eventually challenged.