Brazilian Labour Party (current)

Not to be confused with its predecessor, the historical Brazilian Labour Party, or with the unrelated Labour Party of Brazil or the Workers' Party.
Brazilian Labour Party
Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro
Leader Roberto Jefferson
Founded November 3, 1981
Headquarters SAS, Qd. 1, Bloco M, Ed. Libertas, Loja 101
Brasilia, Brazil
Ideology Labour Movement
Nationalism
Liberal Conservatism
Populism
Political position Centrist/Centre-right
Official colours Black, White, & Red
TSE Identification Number 14
Seats in the Chamber of Deputies
21 / 513
Seats in the Senate
6 / 81
Website
http://www.ptb.org.br/
Politics of Brazil
Political parties
Elections

The Brazilian Labour Party (Portuguese: Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro - PTB) is a center-right political party in Brazil founded in 1981 by Ivete Vargas, niece of President Getúlio Vargas. It claims the legacy of the historical PTB, although many historians reject this because the early version of PTB was a center-left party with wide support in the working class.

History

In 1981, the military dictatorship that had dismatled the historic PTB decided to revoke its legislation which enforced a two-party state. Ivete Vargas, niece of Getúlio Vargas, became the president of the party.

Soon thereafter, a center-left wing of PTB, led by Leonel Brizola, a member of the original PTB, broke with Vargas and founded the democratic socialist Democratic Labour Party (PDT). This break ensured that the PTB would abandon leftist politics, ultimately embracing the centre-right politics.

Popular support

At the legislative elections of October 6, 2002, the party won 26 out of 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 3 out of 81 seats in the Senate.

Before the last presidential election, PTB participated in the coalition government of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and did not field presidential candidates. The party, however, did not support Lula's candidate to succeed him, Dilma Rousseff (herself a former historical PTB/PDT member), as it embarked on centre-right José Serra's failed campaign for President.

External links

Preceded by
13 - WP (PT)
Numbers of Brazilian Official Political Parties
14 - BLP (PTB)
Succeeded by
15 - BDMP (PMDB)