Lula's collapse

Once again we see the flaws of existing representative democracy as the people of Brazil are given no choices in elections that will effect real change. A few excerpts from a Reuters report [Scandal Whacks Popularity of Brazil's Lula, September 13, 2005]:

The personal popularity of the former factory worker, who held out the hope of a new era of social justice in this country of 185 million people, plunged to a record low of 50 percent in September, down from about 60 percent in July, according to the poll.

The government's approval rating dropped to 35.8 percent from 40.3 percent in the same period.

The decline follows a cascade of allegations that members of Lula's ruling Workers' Party and government aides bought political support in Congress and used illegal funding for elections.
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The scandal has held up the government's reform program, which is eagerly awaited by foreign investors, and left the Workers' Party in disarray.
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Lula and his Finance Minister Antonio Palocci are favorite (sic) in Wall Street for their pragmatic economic policies but investors say the scenario could change if they were proven to be directly implicated in corruption.