Workers' Liberty

Heloisa Helena, the presidential candidate for the Party of Socialism and Freedom (P-Sol), got 6.8% of the vote - over 6.5 million people.

This is a fantastic result for the Brazilian left, indicating that the socialists expelled from the Workers Party (PT) have managed to regroup significant forces and establish themselves as a serious national force.

However according to The Independent (3 October 2006) Heloisa Helena has asked her supporters to abstain in the run off between Lula and conservative Geraldo Alckmin on 26 October.

I think this would be a mistake. The PT is a social democratic party, rooted in the unions. The majority of Brazilian workers still voted for Lula. They will share P-Sol’s disappointment with his first term and his implementation of neoliberal policies. But they also know the difference between a right-wing outright ruling class representative and a social democratic pale shadow.

P-Sol shouldn’t drop their criticisms of Lula or stop their own party building activities, but I think they should advocate a vote for him in the run off. That, and mobilising alongside social democratic workers in struggles around pay and conditions, pensions, welfare, democracy, corruption, debt and the other issues in their electoral programme, is the best way to build on their promising start and win the support of other class conscious workers.