Democratic Labour Party (Brazil)

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Partido Democrático Trabalhista




President	Carlos Roberto Lupi

Founded	June 17, 1979
Headquarters	Rua Sete de Setembro, 141, 4º andar , Centro Rio de Janeiro

Political Ideology	Democratic Socialism, Nationalism
International Affiliation	Socialist International
Colours	red, white, blue
TSE Identification Number	12

Website	www.pdt.org.br

See also	Politics of Brazil Political parties Elections

The Democratic Labour Party (PDT - Partido Democrático Trabalhista) is a left-wing political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1979 by left-wing leader Leonel Brizola as an attempt to reorganize the Brazilian leftist forces during the end of the Brazilian military dictatorship. It joined the Socialist International in 1986.

The party is organized in state and municipal directories and also in cooperational social movements, such as the Black Movement, the Labour Woman Association, the Labour Syndicate Union, the Socialist Youth and the Green Labour Movement. Its national directory is composed of over 250 members, while its national executive direction is composed of 21 members.

The cooperational social movements have their own statutes and nation-wide organization.

The Socialist Youth, founded in 1981, was originally called Labour Youth. The organization's name had been changed twice: in 1984, it was changed to Socialist Labour Youth and then in 1985 to Socialist Youth. The intention was to support the group that defended the participation of PDT in the Socialist International and also the change of the party's name to Socialist Party. The last intention never happened.

The best result of the party in the presidential elections, was reached by historical leader Leonel Brizola, with 17%, in the first round of the 1989 presidential elections. However, Brizola lost to rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, by 0,5%, the chance of facing the right-wing candidate, Fernando Collor de Mello, at the second round.

At the legislative elections on the sixth of October 2002, the party won 21 out of 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 5 out of 81 seats in the Senate. Its candidate also won the gubernatorial election in Amapá. Afterwards, it went into opposition to the federal government led by Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

At the last municipal elections on October 2004, the party elected 300 mayors, 3252 city councillors, earning 5.5 million votes.

After the political crisis involving the government of Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, PDT has received the affiliation of many left-wing leaders from the president's party, PT (Workers' Party), that disagree with the government policies, including the former Minister of Education, Cristovam Buarque. Cristovam faced president Lula at the first round of the 2006 National Elections, reaching a surprising 4th place (with 2.538.834 or 2.64% of the votes) for a candidate that was actually well known only in the Federal District where he had been Senator, Governor and rector of the University of Brasília. At the legislative elections of October 1, 2006, the party experienced slight gains, winning 24 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. It also held onto the governorship of Amapa and its candidate won a surprising victory in the gubernatorial election in Maranhao.

[edit] Main PDT Leaders

Getúlio Vargas - Getúlio Dornelles Varga is considered by many the most important Brazilian president ever. His government implemented important laws like the women's and worker's rights, and harshly "defended" the national industry. But he is also considered a dictator and is accused of supporting the anti-Semitism in Brazil.

João Goulart - Known as "the last Labour president," João "Jango" Belchior Marques Goulart continued Vargas' work.

Darcy Ribeiro - Anthropologist, Darcy Ribeiro was one of personalities who most worked for education in Brazil. He is one of the founders of one of the most important universities of the country, the University of Brasília.

Leonel Brizola - Brother-in-law with Goulart, this popular leader defended Jango's candidature and reorganised the left-wing of the country after the Military Dictatorship, which exiled him from the country.