Mylena Fiori and Patrícia Landim
- Agência Brasil

Brasília - Last Friday, June 30, was the deadline established by the Election Board (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral) (TSE) for political parties interested in participating in this year's October general elections to hold nominating conventions.

Brazil has 29 political parties officially registered at the TSE. At the moment, 17 of those parties have representives in Congress. What happened this year was that many parties, with representatives in Congress, decided not to hold conventions. Among them the PMDB, PL, PP, PSB, PTB and Prona.

When the dust settled this weekend, Brazil had seven presidential candidates: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and his vice president, José Alencar, seeking reelection at the head of a PT/PRB/ PcdoB alliance; Geraldo Alckmin and José Jorge (PSDB/ PFL); Cristovam Buarque and Jefferson Peres (PDT); Heloisa Helena and César Benjamin (PSOL/ PCB/ PSTU); Luciano Bivar and Americo de Souza (PSL); Rui Costa Pimenta and Pedro Paulo Pinheiro (PCO); José Maria Eymael and José Paulo da Silva Neto (PSDC).

There will also be elections for 27 senators, 535 federal deputies, state deputies and state govenors.

The first vote is scheduled for October 1, with a runoff election, if needed. on October 29.

Translation: Allen Bennett