Ex-President Lula Withholds Support for Fresh Elections in Meeting with Senators

04/28/2016 - 09h37

In a meeting with senators in Brasília on Wednesday (27) morning, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva withheld his support for a Constitutional Amendment (PEC), which would allow for presidential elections next October.

The PEC 20 was drawn up in the Senate by a group of six senators from a range of parties and includes figures on both sides of the current impeachment battle.

They suggest that only "a great pact" between the main figures in the current political crisis would permit new elections to be called, as the measure is not laid out in the Constitution and would have to be ratified by Congress.

Folha has learnt that Lula expressed optimism about the Senate vote on impeachment, which is due to take place on May 11. Lula told senators that he believes that the government bloc will emerge victorious; however, he was told that President Dilma Rousseff "does not have the slightest chance" of winning the vote.

Rousseff needs to win a simple majority in the Senate to block impeachment proceedings.

Instead, the senators proposed fresh elections as a means of overcoming the current political crisis. According to those present at the meeting, Lula listened "attentively" to the proposal, but avoided giving his support, saying vaguely that he would have to reflect on the issue.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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	Pedro Ladeira/Folhapress
	Renan Calheiros (PMDB-AL), president of the Senate, and former president Lula da Silva