Brazil’s da Silva hints at 1-term presidency if elected

Brazil’s former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says that he's likely to serve only one term if he wins back the presidency in October’s election

Brazil Elections (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Brazil’s former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Friday that he would likely only serve one term if he wins back the presidency in October's election.

“I’m not going to be a president of the republic who is thinking about his reelection," he said in an interview with Metropole Radio in the northeastern state of Bahia. “I’m going to be a president who is going to be thinking about governing this country for four years and leaving it looking great.”

Da Silva, who would turn 77 before taking office if elected, said he would have "four years in which I want to dedicate every minute to see if we can do in four years more than I did in eight.”

He added later: “I dream that when we get to December 31, 2026, when we hand over the mandate to someone else, this country will be thriving, growing.”

The leftist leader served two terms from 2003 to 2010, and he leads the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro in all opinion polls heading into the October election. Some indicate he might gain a first-round victory, avoiding the need for a runoff between the top two finishers.

Bolsonaro often insists the polls are wrong, significantly understating his true strength.

While campaigning in 2018, Bolsonaro too hinted he would serve only one term, saying he opposed reelection.