Sao Paulo City, scene of the country’s biggest electoral dispute

It is time for analysis and reflection on the year that is ending.

However, just draw a line in time, exposing the events chronologically it would be somewhat incomplete, especially here in Instablogs, a space dedicated to readers of all continents who want to know more about what happens in our world.

I believe that a citizen journalist has an extra responsibility to his/her readers on a global level. If I were writing only for the Brazilian public, it might be a case of simply “summarize” the facts, but as this is definitely not the case, I will turn this article in a series of 3: politics, society and economy.

By doing so, I hope I can achieve my ultimate goal: to inform, though little, about what was news here in Brazil in 2008. Shall we start then?

The most striking political fact that year was undoubtedly the municipal elections in October and November, in which thousands of new mayors and councilors were elected by 100 million voters in this country.

Electronic ballot box used throughout Brazilian territory

Unlike other countries, such as the United States for example, the voting process is standardized, and is the same in all cities and in all states. Since 1996, voters use electronic ballot boxes to vote. Besides being a safer process (for a series of technolects), the vote counting is very quick and very efficient. In just two days you can have more than 90% of the results across country.

The importance of municipal elections in Brazil has a different meaning than in other countries. Basically, the center of political power in Brazil is in the municipalities. It is from the municipalities that the regional and state alliances are made. Only after the completion of these alliances is that large national alliances can be established.

In that sense, the big winner of the elections of 2008 was not any of the candidates for mayor, but the governor of Sao Paulo State, Jose Serra. The dispute for mayor in Sao Paulo was very fierce, and even President Lula attended by supporting his candidate. His support was not enough
because the candidate supported by the governor, Gilberto Kassab, was surprising reelected, becoming the best candidate voted in the last 55 years in Sao Paulo.

Governor of Sao Paulo State, Jose Serra

But what does that mean in practice? What impact this result brings to the national policy?

Firstly, it is clear that the union between the two largest opposition parties are consolidated. The PSDB, the party of Jose Serra (traditionally strongest in the Southeast Brazil) combined with the DEM, from Gilberto Kassab, (traditionally stronger in the Brazilian Northeast) are preparing for the succession of President Lula in 2010.

The defeat of the PT, party of President Lula, in Sao Paulo symbolizes a defeat in the political influence of the president, who until now could not make a viable successor for 2010. On the other hand, means the strengthening of the application of the Sao Paulo governor, a politician who is not known for his personal charisma or charm, but by his coldness and administrative competence.

President Lula

Jose Serra has not a typical profile of a Brazilian political, not because it is populist and is known internationally for being a “tough” negotiator.

If you do a research, you’ll find that he was the Minister of Health who created a program to fight AIDS, a program that has been copied by many countries. To the horror of the major European and American labs, he broke the patents of drugs used in the fight against AIDS: these drugs are now manufactured in Brazil at a cost much lower and are free for those who need them. The reflection of his actions was so great that the World Health Organization has created a resolution to break patents in cases of interest of public health.

Therefore, the elections of 2008 in Brazil will have a significant importance for choosing a new president in 2010. And more than that, we can say that what is at stake is not only the future of Brazil, but throughout South America, as the Brazilian project of political and economic integration of the region involves all countries of South America some way.

But dear reader, do not think that the relationship between President Lula and governor Jose Serra is confrontational, quite the contrary. Both are working together to combat the effects of this economic crisis that unfortunately reached Brazil.

This is a sign of maturity in the Brazilian political relations, something that was unthinkable 20 years ago. On the one hand this is good, because political stability is something that all Brazilians want. By contrast, is bad because the system of alliances remains subject to corruption and influence peddling.

What to do? Nothing is perfect and only the Brazilian society can correct these serious defects in the Brazilian democracy.