Greca wins convention in Curitiba and is a candidate.
Former mayor wins PMDB dispute and could emerge as a third option; current mayor, Luciano Ducci, is unpopular, embroiled in a scandal regarding his assets.
247 - The race for mayor of Curitiba gained a strong candidate this Saturday. It is former mayor Rafael Greca, who held the position between 1993 and 1997 and left office with a very high approval rating. Years later, when he was Minister of Sports in the FHC government, Greca was targeted by accusations planted by illegal gambling operator Carlos Cachoeira, of which he was only exonerated last week, 13 years later.
Today, polls place Gustavo Fruet, of the PDT party, in first place, supported by the PT party. Following him is Ratinho Júnior, of the PSC party, who will have limited television time. The current mayor, Luciano Ducci, of the PSB party, has the support of Governor Beto Richa, of the PSDB party, but has been targeted by corruption scandals related to his assets of over R$ 35 million.
Officially nominated this Saturday, with the support of Senator and former Governor Roberto Requião, Greca is already appearing in some polls in third place, ahead of the current mayor. Read below a report from the Paraná blog "Boca Maldita" about his victory at the convention:
By a vote of 69 to 38, former Minister of Sport and Tourism, Rafael Greca (PMDB-PR), won the PMDB Convention in Curitiba this Saturday, the 23rd. With this result, Greca will be the PMDB candidate, running on a single-party ticket, for Mayor of Curitiba.
In the internal contest, Greca defeated state representative Renhold Stephanes. During the convention, Marinalva Gonçalves da Silva, a nurse and long-time PMDB activist from Curitiba, was also confirmed as Rafael Greca's running mate. Marinalva's selection fulfills a request from Senator Roberto Requião, the party's municipal president.
People's City Hall
Shortly after the voting results were announced, Rafael Greca told the press that the PMDB campaign will be guided by innovative ideas and "to return the Curitiba City Hall to the people."
"I will fight to return the city hall to its residents, fight against the outsourcing and privatization of the city, and work to implement innovative projects in the social area, for culture, and to rescue urban planning," said Greca.
And he added: "Curitiba lives on the left side of my chest."
Party support
Greca also took the opportunity to thank his colleagues and fellow party members for their support during the internal party dispute.
“My candidacy is possible thanks to the true members of the PMDB party, who defend a strong, united PMDB, without any spurious alliances or those dissonant with the guidelines of the national PMDB. I also express my immense gratitude for the support of Senator Roberto Requião, who believed in my candidacy, my political history, and the PMDB project,” he emphasized.