Reinaldo Azevedo: Lula maintains control of the PT.
Journalist Reinaldo Azevedo believes that "if Lula were to nominate a replacement now, it is evident that this person would assume command of the political negotiations. They would be chosen to negotiate alliances and platforms, to set the tone of the campaign, to adjust the ideological discourse to reality, to nuance positions, to define horizons, to speak with the powerful figures in industry and with the bankers"; for Azevedo, Lula thus guarantees control of the party and the electoral process.
247 - Journalist Reinaldo Azevedo believes that "if Lula were to nominate a replacement now, it is evident that this person would assume command of the political negotiations. They would be chosen to negotiate alliances and platforms, to set the tone of the campaign, to adjust the ideological discourse to reality, to nuance positions, to define horizons, to speak with the powerful figures in industry and with the bankers." According to Azevedo, Lula thus guarantees control of the party and the electoral process.
"So why doesn't the Workers' Party leader replace the dubious candidate with the effective one? If he were to indicate his replacement now—I don't see how it could be anyone other than Fernando Haddad—it's a given, and this is also my assessment, that the chosen one would be in the second round. But the Workers' Party boss opted for the risky choice. He'll wait until September 17th. There will only be 20 days to make it clear to the electorate: "Haddad is Lula; Lula is Haddad. Vote 13." If it's not the former mayor of São Paulo, then let it be the puppet.
For Lula, more serious than his party losing the presidential race is him losing control of the PT (Workers' Party). What gives him political existence is not the elected office—he was defeated three times before winning four—but the leadership of a still gigantic party with multiple tentacles.