Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the presidential hopeful from the Liberal Party, is expected to hold his electoral convention on Saturday in Sao Paulo without announcing a running mate, according to the coordinator of his pre-campaign.
Rogerio Marinho, a PL senator from Rio Grande do Norte, told Folha de S.Paulo on Monday that the campaign is unlikely to present a complete ticket at the event. Brazilian parties have until August 5 to hold conventions that formally confirm their candidates.
"In principle, [the complete ticket] will not be announced. We have until August 5," Marinho said.
The delay reflects Flavio Bolsonaro's difficulty in building alliances beyond his father's political base. Bolsonaro, a senator from Rio de Janeiro and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has been trying to attract Republicanos, a center-right party with strong evangelical links and relevant state-level machinery. The party, however, has signaled that it may remain neutral in the presidential race.
According to Folha, Flavio Bolsonaro wants a woman as his vice-presidential candidate as part of an effort to reduce his rejection among female voters, a problem the newspaper says was aggravated by his public dispute with Michelle Bolsonaro, the former first lady and a member of the PL. His preferred name is Daniella Marques, a former president of Caixa Economica Federal, Brazil's state-owned savings bank, and a member of Republicanos. Her selection would depend on a broader alliance with her party, which is currently considered unlikely.
Marinho said the choice of a running mate depends on the coalition talks still under way.
"We are talking to other parties. It is clear that this decision will only happen when we have a clearer picture of what our alliance policy will be," he said. "From there, we will look, among the names available in each party, at those who fit the profile we consider desirable."
Folha reported that the so-called "Dark Horse" case pushed Uniao Brasil and the Progressistas, two major parties in Brazil's congressional center-right bloc, away from supporting Flavio Bolsonaro. That left the PL trying to rebuild its options through negotiations with Republicanos.
Those talks are partly unfolding at the state level. In Espirito Santo, the PL has advanced discussions to support a Republicanos candidate for governor. In Minas Gerais, the party is waiting for Senator Cleitinho Azevedo of Republicanos to decide whether he will run for governor before announcing an alliance. In Acre, the PL has not decided whether to back Governor Mailza Assis of the Progressistas or Senator Alan Rick of Republicanos. In Mato Grosso, the two parties are already on opposing sides, with the PL launching Senator Wellington Fagundes against Governor Otaviano Pivetta of Republicanos.
Republicanos national president Marcos Pereira has said the party is inclined to remain neutral in the presidential contest. He is consulting state branches before making a final decision, expected by August 5.
This is single-source reporting based on Folha de S.Paulo.