The president of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSD) Gilberto Kassab said in an interview with CNN, which understands if the ex-governor of São Paulo Geraldo Alckmin (no party) does not run for state elections by the acronym in 2022 and that there is “no grievance with the ex-governor”.
Kassab said it was the PSD who approached Alckmin a few months ago. The former mayor stated that, at the time, “he [Alckmin] he publicly demonstrated his preference to run for governor and even against his party [PSDB na ocasião], which had another position”.
However, in recent days, according to Kassab, the former governor has given preference to analyzing invitations from members of the Workers’ Party (PT) to compose the slate of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who will run for president next year.
“We are going to look for another path, a path of our own candidacy, which can represent our ideas, carry our message”, pointed out Kassab.
According to the former mayor, the party’s objective is to consolidate itself among the three main acronyms in Brazil, having one of the three largest benches in the Chamber of Deputies, in the Senate, in addition to its own candidacies, both for president and in the states.
The president of the PSD also commented on the event of the Prerogatives group, held on Sunday (19), in which he participated and which was also attended by Lula and Alckmin. According to Kassab, the action was political, but it was important for signaling part of the presidents of parties to support Lula in the first round of elections next year.
For the former mayor, both Lula and Alckmin conveyed the prospect of walking together.
Kassab said he did not participate in a photo with Lula and some party presidents because he understood that the registration had electoral connotation and would be a bad sign for PSD members, who are waiting for their own candidacy. He stressed, however, that he greeted former president Lula at the beginning of the event.
Pacheco and the race for the presidency in 2022
According to the PSD leader, since 2018 the party has signaled independence from the government and the will to launch its own candidate for the Executive’s dispute.
“We will maintain this position until the elections. We are going to have our own candidate for the Presidency of the Republic”, he said.
He stressed that it is not “because someone is highly rated in the electoral polls that the party will change its support”.
The PSD supports the candidacy of Rodrigo Pacheco, a member of the acronym. According to Kassab, he represents “the good renewal in Brazilian politics”, having performed well in the last positions he was elected to, reaching the presidency of the Senate this year.
“It’s not a bet on an adventure, it’s someone who manages a monstrous budget, presides over a branch, the Legislature, and is extremely prepared. He will be a great president of the Republic if we have the opportunity to elect him”, he stated.
In Kassab’s opinion, Bolsonaro must have more difficulty in the next elections than former president Lula, analyzing the numbers of current electoral polls. He argues that this is mainly due to the current economic scenario in Brazil and the president’s management of the pandemic.
“If either of them isn’t in the second round, it’s more likely that he [Bolsonaro] is not”, he pointed out.
Kassab emphasizes that there is no possibility for the PSD to form a party federation. In this model, parties can unite and act as an acronym, but they must remain so for four years, also impacting the 2024 municipal elections.
Finally, the president of the PSD said that he is currently an advocate of public financing of the electoral campaign, with some criteria such as a spending ceiling for each candidate in the party and exclusive use of the electoral fund, not using the party. “Healthier and cheaper for Brazil”, he concluded.
Reference: CNN Brasil
