It gained a new chapter this Wednesday (16) with the announcement by former PT candidate Edegar Pretto that he accepts to be Juliana Brizola’s vice-president in the dispute for state government.
Edegar publicly confirmed the decision on social media, in an open letter. “I take this position with a very clear role: to contribute to this candidacy achieving political density, having programmatic alignment and clearly expressing the commitment to the progressive field”, said Edegar in the text.
The PT in Rio Grande do Sul had to accept the imposition of a national agreement that involved the president and the national president of the PDT, , , who defended Edegar’s name to run for the Piratini Palace for the second time.
In the text, he says that he made the decision after a request from President Lula and the national president of the PT, Edinho Silva, made at a meeting on Tuesday (14) in Brasília, in addition to conversations with party leaders, such as former governors Olívio Dutra and Tarso Genro, the former mayor of Raul Pont and representatives of base parties.
On April 9, Edegar confirmed the withdrawal of the pre-candidacy and support for the PDT, two days after the approval of a resolution by the national executive that determined support for the party in Rio Grande do Sul, citing the party’s priority of re-electing Lula.
The document defined “the construction of a joint electoral tactic with the PDT and other parties in the democratic field, under the leadership of comrade Juliana Brizola, as a political expression of this strategy in Rio Grande do Sul.”
“The differences we have, which continue, are smaller than the great challenge of President Lula’s reelection and a new development project for Rio Grande do Sul in which no one is left behind,” said Edegar at the time.
One day before the publication of the national resolution, his campaign event in Porto Alegre brought together representatives of the parties that were part of the pre-candidacy base (PT, PCdoB, PSB, PSOL, Rede and PV) to support the PT member as head of the ticket.
“I don’t believe they have the courage to make an intervention to tell the activists here in the state that our candidate is from another party”, said Tarso Genro at the time. The former governor said, days later, that he would support Edegar in any decision he made.
Juliana and Edegar’s ticket must have, as candidates for senator, the deputy and former minister (PT) and the former deputy Manuela D’ávila (PSOL).
However, sectors of the PSOL oppose the alliance with Juliana and threaten the launch of their own candidacy. The party questions the support that the PDT gave to the Eduardo Leite government (PSD, former PSDB) for most of its two terms.
Juliana Brizola is the granddaughter of Leonel Brizola (1922-2004), who was governor of Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro.
The PT will also not launch a candidate in Santa Catarina, where it will support Gelson Merísio (PSB), and in Paraná, where it will support Requião Filho (PDT).
