Municipal Elections in Brazil: Pole Leader Suffers Embarrassment and Dispute Tightens in Belo Horizonte

10/24/2016 - 11h27

The dispute for the Belo Horizonte City Hall has just become tighter, leading to an increase in the attacks between both candidates, Alexandre Kalil (PHS) and João Leite (PSDB), in the TV campaigns and debates.

Under strong pressure as the second round of the elections draws to a close, Kalil, who is leading the poles, even embarrassed himself as he said that he "steals but does not ask for bribes."

Kalil's sentence was said on Friday, October 21, during a debate promoted by Rede TV channel. Kalil had been accused of embezzling resources that should be used to pay former employees' retirement pensions and reacted to the attack prompltly.

"Yes, I do owe Geraldo [a former employee], but these hands here are clean. He said that I steal I do steal, but I don't ask for bribes in Furnas [the federal government's power company]," said Kalil, in a reference to the so-called Furnas list, which allegedly contained the names of a series of politicians who received bribes - the authenticity of the list, however, was never proved.

Kalil's sentence received much publicity on social networks. In the face of the damage, Kalil recorded a video in which he apologizes and tries to justify what he had said.

"During the debate, I was desperately attacked by João Leite as he called me a thief, and I wanted to say: 'yes, I owe, but I don't receive bribes.' However, unfortunately what I said in the heat of the moment was 'I steal.'"

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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	José Marques/Folhapress
	Alexandre Kalil (PHS) and his wife