Brazilian prosecutors have on Tuesday charged Fernando Haddad, a former mayor and heir apparent to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with corruption, injecting further uncertainty into what is one of the country’s most unpredictable and polarising presidential elections in years.
FT
The election prospects of Brazil’s once mighty Workers’ party, or PT, suffered a further blow on Tuesday after prosecutors charged its likely presidential candidate Fernando Haddad, the former São Paulo mayor, with corruption. Mr Haddad is expected to soon replace former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as the PT’s candidate in the October elections. A judge last week barred Mr Lula da Silva, who was jailed for corruption earlier this year, from running. “This won’t trounce his [Mr Haddad’s] candidacy but it will provide more campaign ammo to his enemies,” said Thiago de Aragão, director at Arko Advice, a political consultancy. The accusations against Mr Haddad, which he denied, are expected to inject further anger and uncertainty into what is already proving to be one of the country’s most unpredictable and polarising presidential elections in years. Mr Lula da Silva, who remains popular with many poorer voters for the social benefits programmes he implemented during his eight years in power ending in 2010, is leading early polls, followed by his far-right nemesis, former army captain Jair Bolsonaro. Analysts expect Mr Lula da Silva will be able to transfer part of his votes to Mr Haddad, currently his vice-presidential candidate. This would give the economist, lawyer, and philosopher a strong chance in the election. In the latest Datafolha poll, 49 per cent of respondents said they would or might vote for a candidate anointed by Mr Lula da Silva.
