BRASILIA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Workers' Party on Wednesday released its first campaign video featuring jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as its candidate for October's presidential election.
Lula, in what seems to be a clip taped before he was imprisoned in April, criticized the current government for cutting the spending for the poor. "We have to change the tune. We have already proven that it is possible to make Brazil better," the two-time ex-president says.
The video also features his running mate Fernando Haddad, who would take his place as the Workers' Party candidate should Lula be forbidden to run.
Brazil's Superior Electoral Court is widely expected to reject Lula's candidacy, due to a law that bars those convicted of crime from running for elected office.
Lula is currently serving a 12-year prison term for corruption, though he denies any wrongdoing and claims the charges are aimed at keeping him out of the race.
Brazilian polling firm Datafolha on Wednesday said Lula has widened his lead over the other 13 candidates, with 39 percent support.
The party's strategy is to keep Lula as its candidate for as long as possible, though the video showed it is also hedging its bets with a campaign slogan that touts both men: "It's Lula, it's Haddad, it's the people, it's Brazil happy again."
