Marina Silva Sets Conditions Before Announcing Her Support for Aécio Neves in the Runoff

10/07/2014 - 12h03

One day after been left out of the presidential race, Marina Silva (PSB) started to prepare her speech and negotiate how her support will be offered to Aécio Neves (PSDB) in the runoff.

The former Senator studies the best way of positioning herself without being inconsistent with her "new politics" she advocated during the campaign. She defines the topics of her government program that will be incorporated in Neve's candidature.

A political reform that brings the end of re-election, full time education and sustainability are some of them. They were all previously included in Neve's government program.

On Monday (6), Marina met her main allies in the apartment she is accommodated in Sao Paulo.

She heard everyone's opinion, but she made it clear that, in case there is no agreement between PSB, the party she stands for since October 2013, and Rede Sustentabilidade (Sustainability Network), her political group, she will individually support Aécio Neves.

"Our evaluation is we cannot have more four years of this government. We agree on that. Our engagement is with change", said João Paulo Capobianco, one of Silva's closest advisers.

He believes one of the strengths of her speech is the eventual support of Eduardo Campos' widow Renata Campos to Neves. Family loyalty and the legacy of her former party colleague, killed in August 13, would justify the coalition.

According to Folha, Renata Campos started to consult her allies to formulate her speech pro-Neves (PSDB). The former Governor's brother, Antonio Campos, declared his vote to the PSDB candidate on his Facebook page, but he stressed that it was a personal choice.

Rede Sustentabilidade has set a meeting for Tuesday night (7), in São Paulo. The expectation is its members commit to the change, but its affiliates will be free to choose between Neves and Dilma Rousseff (PT).

Meanwhile, PSB scheduled an appointment in Brasilia on Wednesday (8) to set the political future of the party in the runoff.

The party's national president, Roberto Amaral, stood by PT, but he has said that "sometimes a reactionary can be a breakthrough" referring to the candidate of the PSDB. The official announcement should come out on Thursday (9).

Former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso sparked the campaign to conquer Marina Silva's and her party (PSB) support, as Folha had anticipated.

Cardoso and higher members of PSDB looked for people who could help build a connection. The former Senator, called Rousseff and Neves to congratulate them for their performance in the campaign, but she did not address support.

Neves has confirmed having spoken with Silva, but he said he waits for "her own time" to define a support agreement and sees more "convergences than differences" between his government program and hers.

Former senator's interlocutors claim PT has also contact them. Marina, however, is refractory to PT's campaign that, since the beginning of September, invested in the deconstruction of her image, which led to a drop in the polls.

Before, the PSB's candidate was a favourite, but ended the race in third place, with 22.1 million votes.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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