Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a former president of Brazil, is expected to kickstart his campaign to become the country’s leader for the third time – from prison.
Lula is guaranteed to secure the nomination of the Workers’ Party, which he founded, as its presidential candidate on Saturday and begin campaigning for what is been described as a hotly contested election by political analysts.
The party will hope to field Lula’s name for the October 2018 election despite currently serving a 12-year prison sentence, which automatically bars him to contest for any political post.
Despite the scandals — which he and his supporters believe have been artificially stoked to keep him out of the election — Lula is still unquestionably the biggest player in Brazilian politics.
Polls show him with near double the support of all other main candidates in a first round, crushing any runner-up in the second decisive round two weeks later.
Lula and his Workers’ Party, which underpinned his domination of Brazil during two terms in 2003-2010, believe he’s no yesterday’s man.
Meanwhile, Lula is waiting for final court judgment on whether he can run.
