Brazil's Rousseff Hopes to Hang On for Lula Return

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, chasing re-election on October 5, is keeping her Workers Party (PT) seat warm for predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to return in 2018, the party chairman said Saturday.

Rousseff took over from Lula, a two-term president who enjoyed record high popularity throughout his 2003-2011 tenure, and had been expected to triumph in this year's poll.

But recent weeks have seen her stunningly overtaken by environmentalist Marina Silva, a former environment minister under Lula now standing on the Socialist ticket who replaced plane crash victim Eduardo Campos last month.

Against a backdrop of scandals and economic malaise, current polls point to Silva as winning an October 26 run-off poll by a margin of around ten percent, threatening to deny  the PT a fourth straight election win.

Although Lula, 68, has given his full backing to Rousseff, he remains a popular figure in the party, which contains a "come back, Lula" faction.

Globo daily Saturday quoted party chairman Rui Falcao as telling a party gathering in Sao Paulo Friday night they should look to ensure Rousseff repeats her success of four years ago -- in order to "prepare the return of Lula in 2018."

Veja magazine reported on its website that Sao Paulo regional party head Emidio de Souza had told the meeting, which Lula attended but Rousseff did not, “the shortest and best way for Lula to return as president is for Dilma to be re-elected." 

Dilma served as Lula's chief of staff before he approved her as his successor.