Fight for presidency hits Brazil's screens

By Daniel Gallas
BBC Brazilian service, Sao Paulo

Lula avoided references to his party

The election campaign for Brazil's presidency has entered a crucial phase this week, with the start of political broadcasts on TV and radio.

Broadcasting is a top priority for all candidates as TV and radio stations in Brazil are required to give political parties 50 minutes of primetime a day.

In the past, the TV campaign has been considered decisive in elections. But, this year, the story may be different - polls are suggesting that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's lead is so great, he may secure an outright victory in the first round in October.

His opponents are already using their broadcasts to attack Lula, trying to link him to recent corruption allegations against his Workers' Party (PT).

So far, the president has managed to distance himself from the scandal that has brought down three of his most important cabinet ministers and senior members of his party.

Lula's main opponent, former Governor of Sao Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, from the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), hopes to use the free media slots to become better known nationally and force a run-off vote.

System blamed

In his opening broadcast, President Lula addressed the corruption allegations against government officials accused of buying votes in Congress.

Those who made mistakes must be punished President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

The president appeared to be trying to avoid further damage to his own career by blaming the political system.

"Don't be fooled. The ethical crisis that has struck all parties is a problem of our system. Those who made mistakes must be punished," he said.

Remarkably, references to the PT were absent. The red flags and the red star - the party's logo, present in previous campaigns - were not seen. The PT's traditional image as an ethical party has been damaged by the allegations.

Analysts say that some of the government's social programmes - which benefit tens of millions of Brazilians - are the main reason for President Lula's strong lead in the polls.

Security

This is Lula's fifth bid for the presidency.

The former union leader became famous in the 1980s for organising strikes and protests during Brazil's military government. He also founded the Workers' Party.

Geraldo Alckmin is hoping to boost his profile

After having lost three consecutive elections, Lula appeared to abandon some of his more leftist ideas. He was elected president in 2002.

Mr Alckmin's TV slots have also been critical of Lula's economic policy.

"I will not help build an economy for bankers to get richer, with the highest interest rates in the world," he said in his first TV broadcast.

The 53-year-old doctor has been criticised for the security policies he implemented as governor of Sao Paulo. Just months after he left office, a prison-based criminal gang was blamed for initiating a wave of violence in which scores of police officers and civilians were killed.

Security issues were not discussed in any of the presidential broadcasts on the first day, but are likely to be top of the agenda for voters.

Four other candidates are running for office. Among them is Heloisa Helena, a senator who was expelled from the PT for voting against government-backed reforms.

Her party, PSol, is believed to have inherited many votes from the left which would once have gone to Lula.

Another dissident from the Workers' Party, Cristovam Buarque, is also running for office. He was Lula's first education minister but left the government and the party in protest over the corruption scandals.