Brazilian Democratic Movement Party

Under military rule from 1965 to 1979, Brazil had a legally enforced two party system, with supporters of the regime gathered under the National Renewal Alliance Party (ARENA) umbrella, and the official opposition making up the MDB. From 1979 onwards, a restricted number of parties were allowed, and the PMDB emerged. In 1985, party leader Tancredo Neves won the presidential election. He died at the beginning of his term, but his running mate Jose Sarney, also a member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, became president, serving until 1990. He was the only president of Brazil to come from the party, and in recent presidential elections the party has not run presidential candidates, preferring to focus on congressional and governatorial elections.

At the legislative elections, 6 October 2002, the party won 74 out of 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 19 out of 81 seats in the Senate, making it one of the biggest parties in Brazil.

The party decided not to launch a candidate for the 2006 presidential election in order to be free to make any coalition in the states. Under Brazilian electoral law, parties launching presidential candidates cannot make any alliance at state level unless such state coalition comprises parties allied at country level. At the congressional elections which occurred at the same time as the presidential elections in October 2006, the PMDB won 89 of 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, becoming the biggest party in the Chamber of Deputies, and following elections to 1/3 of the Senate, it will have 15 of the 81 seats, becoming the third largest party in the Senate. The PMDB also won 7 state gubernatorial elections in October 2006.

Famous PMDB members include: Tancredo Neves, Ulysses Guimarães, Itamar Franco, Orestes Quércia, Michel Temer, Anthony Garotinho, José Sarney, Renan Calheiros, Pedro Simon, Roberto Requião, Germano Rigotto, Ramez Tebet, Marcelo Fortuna , Iris Rezende, Maguito Vilela.

See also

External links

Notes

Category:Liberal parties Category:Political parties in Brazil Category:Political parties established in 1981