Dilma Rousseff Undecided about Seeking 2nd Term, Lula May Come Back

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (L) embraces her new Defence Minister Celso Amorim (R) during his swearing in ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil, 08 August 2011. EPA/BGNES

Brazil's Bulgaria-descended President Dilma Rousseff will decide on whether to seek reelection in 2014 after discussing the matter with her predecessor and sponsor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, according to a Brazilian Cabinet member.

"I don't see that question being resolved without a conversation between the two of them. It's very early still," Brazil's Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo said in an interview published on the website of newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.

In his words, Lula, who remains extremely popular, is also a likely candidate of the Democratic Labor Party for the 2014 elections, should Dilma Rousseff decide not to run again.

Rousseff, the daughter of a Bulgarian immigrant Petar Rusev (Pedro Rousseff), took office on January 1, 2011, becoming the first female President of Brazil.

International media have cited anonymous officials as saying that Rousseff has mentioned it was likely that she would not run again for the presidency in 2014.

Rousseff has recently been dealing with a crisis with her allies in the Brazilian Congress, struggling to keep together her ruling coalition, while Brazil's economy has slowed down after the boom in the Lula years.

Brazil's economy is now expected to grow about 3% in 2011, down from initial forecasts of about 4%, and far from the 7.5% growth it registered in 2010.

At the same time, however, even though Rousseff's public approval ratings have declined, she still enjoys the support of 67%, a recent poll by Ibopo showed.

Lula, who was Brazil's President from 2003 till 2011, was not entitled to run for a third consecutive term, and put forth Dilma Rousseff, a minister and then the chief of staff in his Cabinet.

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