Weekly Report - 23 October 2008 (ISSN 1741-7422)

Accusations of dirty tricks and a violent clash between striking civil police officers with the military police in São Paulo have sullied the campaigns ahead of the second round of municipal elections on 26 October. Meanwhile, President Lula da Silva is attempting to pacify his Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), which seems ever-more concerned about the growing influence of the Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro (PMDB) in his government. The PMDB has increased the number of municipal governments it controls following the results of the first round vote - and this mercurial party could inflict humiliating defeats on the PT and PT-allied candidates in several state capitals where local elections are going to a run-off.

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