Brazil president fined for premature campaigning

©2010 Taiwan News
Brazil's top electoral court has fined President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the equivalent of more than $8,000 for allegedly illegally campaigning for his hand-picked successor.

The Superior Electoral Tribunal announced on its Web site Friday that it had levied a 10,000-real ($5,500) fine for comments Silva made in favor of his chief of staff, Dilma Rousseff, during the January inauguration of a data-processing center.

The tribunal last week levied a fine of 5,000 reals ($2,778) for pro-Rouseff remarks Silva made at a May 2009 sports-complex inauguration.

The tribunal says Silva violated a Brazilian law prohibiting presidential campaigning before July 6 of this year. The election's first round will be held Oct. 3.

Silva's office says it will appeal.

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