Lula's Party Loses Leadership of Lower House (Update3)

[bemildred]

Feb. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Workers' Party unexpectedly lost the leadership of the lower house of parliament, ceding the post to a smaller coalition partner, the Progressive Party.

``It was a big defeat for us that we didn't expect,'' said Jose Genoino, president of the Workers' Party in Brasilia in comments broadcast on CBN radio. ``We have to learn from this and we will analyze it with humility.''

The Progressive Party's Severino Cavalcanti, 74, won the lower-house presidency in a 300-195 second-round vote today, defeating Luiz Eduardo Greenhalgh, 56, of the Workers' Party, according to the lower house's Web site. Lula's party also gave up its seats on the seven-member group that sets deputies' daily legislative agenda.

The vote shows Lula's support in congress is weakening two years after the former union leader took office, said investors such as Alexandre Sant'anna at ARX Capital Management in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil's benchmark bond due 2040 and the currency fell.

Bloomberg

[LinuxInsurgent]

1. screw you...

when you abandon the workers' desires for anti-free market policies and start grand-standing with the capitalists of the world...you lose the hopes of Brazilians...and their votes.

IF you would have stayed true to your Union heritage...maybe you could have kept the lower house.

[AntiCoup2K4]

2. I don't follow Brazilian politics but...

...by your description, this guy sounds like he's from their equivalent of the DLC.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

3. Oh no, not that bad.

But people had some really high expectations and apparently he hasn't delivered. I think he is still popular but people want more drastic changes, when it comes to the IMF/World Bank debt and poverty in general.

[LinuxInsurgent]

4. i agree with Guy...not that bad

he's not the DLC...by a longshot...he's still tilting toward "the people"...but he didn't deliver.

I mean..I'd vote for Lula over any AMerican President...but I'm just saying that explains why he lost the lower house.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. That's exactly how iI see it. n/t

[AP]

7. That's exactly the attitude that makes it so hard for liberals to win...

...elections.

Liberals usually only win when the right has taken things so far beyond sane that the only option is for people to vote against them.

Then you drop the liberal government into a situation where so much power has accumulated in the hands of so few private citizens and corporations that it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE for them to totally reverse course in their first term. (And part of this includes the RW control over the media, and therefore over perceptions -- the media knows that more people momentarily agree with progressive values rather than conservative values, so they don't spend much time trying to convince you the progressives are wrong. Instead, they tell you the government isn't progressive enough.)

So the liberal party has to compromise to get anything done. And then people start screaming about compromise to the point that the voters reject the liberal party for not being good enough, even though the alternative is a less conservative government.

For the liberal party, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. For the people, if the government isn't perfect, they'd rather have a worse government by the more conservative party.

Now, if Lula lost to a more liberal party, that would be one thing. That would be like if Ralph Nader had won the election in 2000. But if this is just the route back to power for less progressive parties, then it's just part of the modern formula for right wing control over government after losing it briefly.

[gorbal]

5. I remember what Chavez said in support of Lulu

Defends Lula

Chavez defended Brazilian President Luis "Lula" Da Silva, who has been sharply criticized by the Latin American left, and who was booed during his speech at the World Social Forum.

"I say this from the bottom of my heart. In Venezuela at the beginning of my presidency, many of my supporters criticized me and asked me to go at a faster pace , and be more radical, but I considered that it was not the right moment because each process has several phases and different rhythms that not only have to do with internal situations in each country, but with the international situation at the time. So, risking that you make some strange noise, I want to say that I like Lula, I appreciate him, and he is a good man, of a great heart. He is a brother, a comrade and I send him a hug, my love and affection. I'm sure that with Lula and the people of Brazil, with Nestor Kirchner and the Argentine people, with Tabaré Vasquez and the Uruguayan people, we will be opening the path to realizing the dream of a united Latin America."

Some more of his speech is here-(it's a great read)

http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/01/1718567_comment.php

Does anyone know where there is a complete transcript or video with english translation of his speech?

:)

[LinuxInsurgent]

8. hmmm...

well..that does make sense...makes me think...

[Say_What]

9. What a difference a few years makes....

Lula held much hope for the poor who voted him into office and was speaker at the 2003 World Social Forum in Porto Alegre where he was rapturously received. What a difference a couple of years makes. I remember his speeches in that first year--they held much promise--nearly immediately the US press started knocking him.

<clips>

World Social Forum - the challenge for 2005

OVER 100,000 workers, youth and others exploited by capitalism are expected to attend the 2005 World Social Forum (WSF) in Porte Allegre, Brazil between 26-31 January.

...In Uruguay, the 'left-wing' Frente Amplio has taken office for the first time. Two years ago Lula in Brazil won the Presidency for the PT (Workers Party) for the first time. These and other election victories initially raised the hopes and expectations of the masses who viewed them as offering the prospect of a change in society.

..Lula's government has buckled to all the demands of imperialism and its financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank. Far from being a reformist government it has become a government of counter-reforms. The pension reform programme, trade union and labour reform, university reform, the privatisation of federal banks and other measures, all have attacked the working class and poor.

In some of the biggest cities the PT was punished for these anti-working class policies in the municipal elections in 2004. In Rio de Janeiro, after winning 80% of the vote in the second round of the Presidential election in 2002, the vote for the PT mayoral candidate received a derisory 6% in 2004 - the lowest vote ever for the PT in the city! In Sao Paulo the PT candidate Marta Suplicy was defeated by Lula's opponent in the 2002 Presidential campaign, Jose Serra.

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2005/377/index.html?id=mp9.htm

[ashiebr]

12. "the PT was punished for these anti-working class policies.....

........ the PT was punished for these anti-working class policies in the municipal elections in 2004...... In Sao Paulo the PT candidate Marta Suplicy was defeated by Lula's opponent in the 2002 Presidential campaign, Jose Serra".

She din't lose for anything except incompetence and extravagance. She was an upper middle-class woman who used to turn up at Favelas in pink Gucci dresses and a thousand-dollar handbag.

Lula himself remains popular.

And the guy they just voted to head Congress? A protestant evangelist, hates gays, pro-farmer (ie anti-land distribution) supported the military dictatorship, allied to Paulo Maluff at present under investigation for massive fraud and corruption. His campaign was based on increasing the salaries of Deputies.

Business as normal in Brasilia.

[Say_What]

13. Chavez defended Lula at the World Social Forum

Thanks for the insight into this guy they just voted in. Sounds like this is a guy the Bushistas could get mileage out of.

When Lula was elected the photos of his inauguration at El Globo captured how overcome with joy he and the public were. He was such a bright light for Latin America and Brazil. I hope he can accomplish what I know in his heart he wants for his country and the rest of LatAm. One thing does seem certain--and that's the move away from dependence on Uncle Sam--a move that is long overdue.

---

From venezuelanalyis.com

...Chavez defended Brazilian President Luis "Lula" Da Silva, who has been sharply criticized by the Latin American left, and who was booed during his speech at the World Social Forum.

"I say this from the bottom of my heart. In Venezuela at the beginning of my presidency, many of my supporters criticized me and asked me to go at a faster pace {to implement changes}, and be more radical, but I considered that it was not the right moment because each process has several phases and different rhythms that not only have to do with internal situations in each country, but with the international situation at the time. So, risking that you make some strange noise, I want to say that I like Lula, I appreciate him, and he is a good man, of a great heart. He is a brother, a comrade and I send him a hug, my love and affection. I'm sure that with Lula and the people of Brazil, with Nestor Kirchner and the Argentine people, with Tabaré Vasquez and the Uruguayan people, we will be opening the path to realizing the dream of a united Latin America."

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1486

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

17. Yay! Another Brazilian!

Hi! :hi:

I was going to make a short description of Mr. Cavalcanti, but you did it better than I would.

For the Americans: In Brazil, "Deputy" (deputado) = "Representative."

[On the Road]

10. Oh, They Lost to the PROGRESSIVE Party

I was afraid they were going right again. This may have been more of a referendum on meeting IMF demands. I don't completely blame Lula for caving, because the economic consequences can be so severe, but the legislature seems to want someone more confrontational.

[bemildred]

11. Yeah, this is about Lula going too slow.

But it doesn't seem that big a deal from what I can tell.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. Don't be fooled by the party's name:

Lula da Silva handed political setback

BRASILIA - (AP) -- An outsider won the post of speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress on Tuesday, the biggest setback for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his Workers Party since he took office in 2003.

The election of Severino Cavalcanti of the right-leaning Progressive Party marked the first time in 20 years that a president's choice has not been picked, said Arlindo Chingalia, Workers Party leader in the house.

more: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/americas/10909715.htm

[On the Road]

15. Thanks for Pointing That Out

I was indeed fooled by the name. Any more insight on exactly what's going on? Does it mean Brazil is likely to move right in the next elections?

[bemildred]

16. Yeah, I think I'm confused.

It seems this guy is part of Lula's coalition, but his party is
pro-business and big landowners, and what I can find says this is
about more money for "lawmakers" and Lula's "high-handed" treatment
of the congress.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

18. It is the military dictatorship's party

At dictatorship time it was called ARENA. Then they changed the name to PDS. Then to PPB. Then to PP.

Any way or another, they're the lowest of scum in Brazilian politics. They're so low they don't have qualms about playing "nice" with a leftist government if they percieve it to be advantageous to them. Then, when the time is right, WHAMMO.

One of their deputies said in Congress: "We have an atheist President (Cardoso), and that's the source of our disgrace."

I have little respect for politicians who think I'm a second-class citizen.

[bemildred]

19. Brazilian business and unions blast monetary policy.

Brazilian business organizations and trade unions bitterly criticized the Central Bank’s monetary policy which last week raised the basic interest rate, Selic, for the sixth consecutive time, to 18,75%, considered the highest in the world.

Businessmen and economists warned that extremely high interest rates threaten the Brazilian economy growth and cautioned about insisting with this instrument to curtail inflation which could end drying up business and consumer confidence.

---

“Government is obsessed with keeping the 5,1% inflation target, but at this rate and since prices will continue to increase because what is needed is a deep administrative reform, the Central Bank will have to take the basic rate to 29%”, blasted Carlos Borges president of the Sao Paulo Commerce Federation.
“The time has come to change the integration of Copom (Central Bank Monetary Council) because it’s punishing production and jobs”, added Mr. Borges.

http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=5147