PT leadership encourages alliances with PSD.
The defense of the coalition, however, will not be part of the political resolution to be approved tomorrow by the 4th PT Congress.
The PT leadership is encouraging alliances with the PSD of São Paulo's mayor, Gilberto Kassab, in the 2012 municipal elections in several cities across the country. However, this coalition will not be part of the political resolution to be approved tomorrow by the PT's 4th Congress, which will recommend "prioritizing" formal alliances only with parties supporting Dilma Rousseff's government.
In São Paulo, the PSD is expected to support former governor José Serra (PSDB) if he decides to run for mayor, or even launch the candidacy of secretary Eduardo Jorge (PV). Even so, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who backed the candidacy of Minister Fernando Haddad (Education) to succeed Kassab, believes it is necessary to keep the door open for a possible second round.
The PT's main target today is the PMDB, but the PSD is also in the PT's sights in a handful of cities, mainly in the interior. In Bahia and Sergipe, for example, PT members are working to boost Kassab's party. "In a two-round election, there's always a calculation to be made to determine what's most advantageous, and that applies to all parties," said Haddad, shortly before participating in a plenary session to discuss alliances at the PT meeting.
The director of the Lula Institute, Congressman Devanir Ribeiro (PT-SP), stated that the political resolution to be approved today at the PT meeting cannot "freeze" the ongoing negotiations for the municipal elections. "The alliance will be formed regionally. There's no point in establishing rigid criteria because nobody complies," commented Ribeiro. "We know, for example, that the PSD will be part of the allied base of the Dilma government and we will form alliances with this party in various locations."
Jumbo
However, according to Senator Jorge Viana (PT-AC), the PT needs to pay attention to the "hybrid character" of Kassab's PSD. "The PSD wants to occupy a space that has always belonged to the PSDB, which is to sit on the fence. But those who sit on the fence risk getting cut by broken glass," Viana remarked. In his opinion, it is very difficult for the PT leadership to establish, in a resolution, the guidelines for alliances in 2012.
"The Dilma government is a 'jumbo' government, where all parties are included. So, in the alliances for 2012, it has to be like that too. It's forbidden to forbid," stated Congressman Jilmar Tatto (PT-SP), another pre-candidate for mayor of São Paulo.
The flirtation with the PSD, however, is dividing the PT's ranks and is even causing infighting among the allied parties. "In Santa Catarina, the PSB of the governor of Pernambuco, Eduardo Campos, has become a surrogate for the PSD, which is led there by Bornhausen," said the mayor of Joinville, Carlito Merss, referring to former senator Jorge Bornhausen, who was president of the DEM. "It's true that in some places the PT can form alliances with the PSD, but caution is necessary because in many cities this party is far-right."