SAO PAULO
Marina Silva on Sunday officially endorsed center-right presidential candidate Aécio Neves in the second round of the presidential elections.
At a media event here, Silva, who led in the polls up until the eve of voting in the first round, said she would "vote for and support" Neves, a day after the pro-business candidate published an open letter in which he agreed to include in his manifesto a raft of Silva's proposals.
They include pledges on the environment, indigenous rights, agrarian reform and an end to re-elections for executive positions, demanded in exchange for her backing.
"Bearing in mind the commitments made by Aécio Neves … I will vote for Aécio and will support him, voting on these commitments, lending the candidate and his party a vote of confidence to the sincerity of his proposals and, principally, making sure for the Brazilian society that they are accomplished," Silva told reporters.
However, the former environment minister, who placed third in last Sunday's vote with 21.3 percent of the vote and was eliminated from the race, was unequivocal that her public backing of Neves did not constitute "any type agreement of allegiance" to enter into a governing coalition if he is elected.
"What moves me is my conscience and I assume responsibility for my choices," Silva said.
It is not clear whether she will openly campaign for Neves.
Silva replaced running mate Eduardo Campos as the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) presidential candidate after he was killed in a plane crash Aug. 13. Campos' family had already openly backed Neves for the presidency, along with the majority of the party’s leaders and members, although PSB’s president has said he will back President Dilma Rousseff.
Following a strong performance by Neves in the first round, in which he secured a surprising solid second place, polls have since put him in a technical tie with Rousseff, although numerically ahead of the incumbent.
Neves has since courted smaller, fringe candidates and their followers for their support in the second round; however, with her 22 million first-round voters, Silva's endorsement was the biggest prize sought by Neves.
There had been frenzied speculation in the Brazilian press as to whom Silva would endorse but a number of stinging attacks by Rousseff against the PSB candidate, it was unlikely she would have endorsed the incumbent, and although many of her voters are expected to "migrate" toward Neves, some will likely back the president.
The economy and corruption are expected to be front and center in both second-round campaigns before Brazilians head back to the polls Oct. 26 for the runoff vote.
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