Brazil Workers' party selects backup to jailed presidential candidate

Workers’ party hopes voters will be drawn to former São Paulo mayor whose campaign will be based on ‘the unwavering defense’ of ex-president Lula da Silva

Associated Press in São Paulo
Mon 6 Aug 2018 15.13 EDT

Brazil’s left-leaning Workers’ party has announced that former São Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad will become its presidential candidate if, as expected, jailed ex-president is barred from running in the October election.

The announcement by party chairwoman Gleisi Hoffman immediately propels a candidate who has barely registered in the polls thus far to one of the leading contenders to become Brazil’s next president.

Hoffmann said that Haddad “will travel nationwide carrying Lula’s voice”, making him a surrogate for a once wildly popular leader who still garners much support despite mounting legal problems. Polls show Lula with a clear lead in this year’s race even though a corruption conviction will almost certainly block his candidacy.

. . .

Haddad said the campaign will be based “on the unwavering defense of Lula, the biggest political leader of Brazil”.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/06/brazil-workers-party-backup-jailed-presidential-candidate