By Mara Ochoa
Brasilia — The Brazilian Workers Party (PT) opened its 9th National Meeting on April 29 in the Federal Congress Building.
The participants included 440 delegates elected by municipal PT branches. Invited guests included diplomatic representatives, PT supporters, political activists, indigenous people. Media were present from around the world.
Also invited were progressive political parties, including Socialist Unity and Frente Grande (Argentina), Chilean Socialist Party, Chilean Communist Party, Cuban Communist Party, Democratic Revolutionary Party of Mexico, Portuguese Communist Party, Democratic Socialist Party (Australia), Frente Amplio (Uruguay), Causa Radical (Venezuela).
The delegates met to debate and adopt the program for government titled "1994: Lula for President, A Revolutionary Democracy for Brazil". The program addresses the issues affecting the Brazilian people under the capitalist economy and seeks to introduce reforms as part of the struggle for socialism.
Two main issues debated as part of the program for government were abortion and foreign debt repayments.
The proposal unanimously supported by the delegates was in favour of women having access to safe abortions. The program states that in every 100,000 births in Brazil, 156 women die, and it is estimated that 2 million abortions are performed every year. One-fourth women forced to seek clandestine abortions are admitted to hospital with complications that often lead to infertility or death.
The PT strongly believes that abortion is an issue for a popular democratic government to address. The PT also recognises that education on methods of contraception is important. A PT government will guarantee access for women to all methods of contraception that do not risk women's health, accompanied by a thorough education process involving the public heath system, the education system and the involvement of society in general.
On the foreign debt, the PT sees it as necessary, should it win the elections, to postpone repayment. It has various urgent programs planned to develop services, and these would not be able to be properly developed while funds were diverted to paying foreign debt.
Previous governments with fragile political mandates have signed agreements with private international creditors that are unfavourable to Brazil and that put constraints on future government by requiring them to increase repayments. As a result of these agreements, the Brazilian government has been paying $17-20 billion a year. The PT believes this is irresponsible and plans to put basic human rights before servicing these debts.
The federal elections are scheduled for October 3. The PT is receiving increasing support from the people; national polls give it more than 40% of the votes. The PT has been growing strongly and now has 700,000 members.
The party is standing Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva or "Lula" for president. The press continually tries to present him as someone unable to lead a country because he is a worker with no university degree. But as a representative from the PT International Relations Committee said, "Lula has completed university — in fact four universities, which he helped to build!".
The meeting also passed motions on international events. These included a recognition of the first democratic government in South Africa and a condemnation of the United States economic blockade of Cuba.
The gathering sent a message of solidarity to Ricardo Canese of the Paraguayan Concertacion Democratica y Social, an invited guest who was not allowed by Paraguayan officials to leave the country to attend.