Brazil’s opposition accuses President Lula of early campaigning

Brazil’s opposition party Democrats Monday filed a protest to the Superior Electoral Court accusing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of early campaigning for the October general election.

Former Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff and union trade CUT were also targets of the protest.

Democrats said Lula used CUT’s Labor Day party Saturday to promote support for Rousseff, candidate of Lula’s ruling Workers’ Party. Lula, who has been in power for eight years, is banned by law from running for presidency again.

The electoral law allows no campaign with government fund but the CUT party received money from several state-owned companies, Democrats said.

In a speech at the party, which was broadcast by radios and TV stations, Lula called for the continuity of his administration.

“You know who I want,” he said, without mentioning Rousseff’name.

The presidential election is scheduled for Oct. 3. The electoral law will only allow campaigns to start from early July.

This is not the first time that Lula is accused of using the government machine to promote Rousseff’s candidacy. The President has been fined twice for early campaigning with a total fine of 15,000 reais (8,670 U.S. dollars).