Amanda Cieglinski Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília -  In an acceptance speech that lasted over an hour, the PSDB candidate for president (“pré-candidato”), José Serra, the former governor of São Paulo, spoke to an enthusiastic audience here in Brasilia on Saturday (April 10). His main message was that he wanted to be president of a united Brazil. He criticized the polarization of the political scene [a reference to attempts to make the presidential campaign a referendum on the PT and his party].
“In our administration, there will not be states of the North against states of the South, big cities against small cities, urban against rural, commerce against industry, blues against reds,” he declared.
A number of times Serra said, “Brazil can do more,” which looks like it will be one of his campaign slogans. Serra pointed out that the progress of the last 25 years was not the work of one administration, one man or one party, but a collective effort that he intends to continue.
Serra spoke of his activities while minister of Health during the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration, his participation in writing the Constitution of 1988, the period when he was a political exile in Chile [during the military dictatorship]. He also told the story of his father, a fruit vendor, who taught him the value of work.
As for the long and hard campaign ahead, Serra said “There will be many attacks and we must respond calmly. The more lies they throw at us the more we will tell the truth.”
The leadership of the PSDB was present, including Sergio Guerra, president of the party, the former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and the former governor of Minas Gerais, Aecio Neves. The presidents of the PPS, Roberto Freire, and the DEM, Rodrigo Maia, declared that their parties are now formally part of an alliance to elect Jose Serra president of Brazil. Nobody said anything about who Serra's vice president is going to be.

Allen Bennett - translator/editor The News in English