Elections
After his return to Brazil, Fernando Henrique engaged with the then burgeoning democratic opposition to the regime both as an intellectual and as a political activist. He became Senator of the state of São Paulo for the former Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), in 1982, substituting as a suplent the newly elected São Paulo governor Franco Montoro. In 1985, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor of São Paulo against former President Jânio Quadros. Ahead in the polls, he let himself be photographed in the mayor's chair before the elections. Some attribute his loss in the election to this episode.
Elected for the Senate in 1986 for the Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB), which substituted MDB after Brazilian re-democratization, he joined a group of parliamentarians of PMDB who abandoned the party in order to create the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). This was a result of a right-wing shift of PMDB previous positions after the party became inflated with politicians that previously collaborated with the dictatorship. As a Senator, Cardoso took part in the 1987-1988 National Constituent Assembly that drafted and approved Brazil's current Constitution in the wake of the country's re-democratization. In early stage the Constituent Assembly's work (from February to March 1987), Cardoso led the committee that drafted the Assembly's internal rules of procedure, including the procedural rules on the drafting of the Constitution itself. The Rules of Procedure were adopted by the Assembly and published on 25 March 1987. Until 1992, Cardoso served as Leader of the PSDB in the Senate. From October 1992 to May 1993, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Itamar Franco (PMDB).
From May 1993 to April 1994, he was Minister of Finance and introduced the Plano Real (Real Plan) aiming at the drastic reduction of the high rates of inflation experienced in Brazil at the time. The plan was very effective in controlling the effects of inertial inflation and resulted in an immediate gain of purchase power by the working poor. Buoyed by the success of the Plano Real, Cardoso decided to run for the Presidency and, backed by President Franco, won in the first round of elections, on October 3, 1994. Four years later, on October 4, 1998, after the passing of a Constitutional Amendment that allowed for his reelection, Cardoso won the Presidency again, with approximately 53% of the vote, while his closest challenger, Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers' Party), had about 32%.
Cardoso was succeeded in 2003 by Lula da Silva, who was running for President for the fourth time and came in second on his previous attempts. Lula won in the runoff against the Cardoso-supported candidate José Serra. Lula's election has been interpreted as a result of Cardoso's low rates of approval during his second term.
Read more about this topic: Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Famous quotes containing the word elections:
“In my public statements I have earnestly urged that there rested upon government many responsibilities which affect the moral and spiritual welfare of our people. The participation of women in elections has produced a keener realization of the importance of these questions and has contributed to higher national ideals. Moreover, it is through them that our national ideals are ingrained in our children.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)
“Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.”
—Gore Vidal (b. 1925)