Dilma Rousseff Says She Would Help Lula if He Decides to Run for President in 2018

10/14/2014 - 11h47

President Dilma Rousseff said on Monday Oct 13, that she would help the former president Lula in the event he decides to run for president in 2018, as was indicated last week by Worker's Party (PT) national leader Rui Falcão.

"Look, this was said by Rui Falcão, the [former] president Lula did not say this, as for me, I would certainly help", Dilma said, after being questioned in a group interview at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia.

Speaking on the topic of reelection, which her opponent Aécio Neves (PSDB) is seeking to end, she stated that she would need to see a proposal prior to an official announcement.

"Nobody achieves an effective government in four years. In five years? Possibly, I do not know", she asserted, before returning to defending the creation of a referendum for any political reform.

Dilma called the remark by Secretary of Economic Policy, Márcio Holland, "unfortunate", who had suggested that Brazilians consider buying chicken or eggs instead of meat to offset costs of rising inflation.

"I believe that people have the right to choose to eat meat, eggs or chicken. One great achievement of my administration was removing Brazil as a country that struggles with hunger", she stated.

In regards to the economy, the president said that "we will have a robust policy to combat inflation", but this does not include price controls.

When asked by journalists if she would announce members of her economic team for a potential second term, to send a signal to the markets, Dilma countered: "I have to give a signal to the people, why would I need to give a signal to the markets during an election?"

She made criticisms of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso's (FHC) administration as well as Aécio Neves, her current opponent in the election runoff. She claimed that while the FHC administration stabilized the currency, it left the country rife with "inequality", high levels indebtedness and unemployment.

Regarding Neves, the former Governor of the state of Minas Gerais, Dilma labeled comparisons between him and Lula made by defeated candidate Marina Silva as "disproportional."

"If you compare the two, it is like comparing two different worlds. What Lula did for Brazil involved promoting growth, employment, investment in health and education. What my opponent has done for Brazil has involved a legacy of reckless management and mounting state debts."

Translated by MARC JORGENSEN

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	Nelson Antoine/Fotoarena /Folhapress
	Dilma Rousseff said that she would help the former president Lula in the event he decides to run for president in 2018