BARACK OBAMA called him “my man”. His followers refer to him as “our guide” and, to millions of loyal voters across Brazil he is simply Lula – a working-class hero who hauled millions out of poverty and became one of the most popular leaders on earth.
This explains why, although Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s name won’t be on the ballot in this year’s elections for the first time in 21 years, his legend will live on, as politicians around the country aim to cash in on Lula’s staggering popularity levels – by borrowing his name.
At least four “Lula clones” have registered to run under their president’s name in October’s general elections, in the hope some of his magic will rub off on them.
“We have a president with approval ratings of more than 80 per cent and I think this would help anyone who has the same name or looks like him,” said Luiz “Lula” da Silva. He is running for federal deputy in São Paulo. His bushy beard and virtually identical name are said to have shocked the president himself.
“It’s natural. It’s just like looking like Obama – that will give anyone a boost,” said São Paulo’s Lula, a former gravedigger and member of the president’s Workers Party, who is running on an anti-crack cocaine ticket.
“We are similar in many ways. He thinks I’m the guy who looks most like him in the whole of Brazil.”
Elsewhere, residents in Lauro de Freitas, a small town in Bahia state, can vote for Luis “Lula” Maciel and in the Amazon region , they can vote for Angelo da Silva Pereira “Lula” (36).
"In the presidential election Lula is our [Brazil's] top canvasser," Istoemagazine said, claiming the outgoing president "carried influence over nearly two-thirds of voters."
Lula is not the first political leader to be “cloned” in Brazilian elections. The 2008 local elections saw several candidates run under the nickname “Obama”. Candidates dubbed “bin Laden” and “Maradona” are also reported.
With the first round of presidential elections now less than 60 days away, polls indicate that Lula’s former chief of staff, Dilma Rousseff, may be consolidating her lead over opposition candidate José Serra with 39 per cent of the vote compared to Serra’s 34 per cent.
Rousseff has invoked Lula’s achievements while Serra has adopted the campaign slogan “Brazil can do more”, promising greater investment in infrastructure and security.– (Guardian service)