Brazilian president to run for re-election

Rio de Janeiro, May 1 (IANS) Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said she will run for re-election in October with or without the support of allied parties now part of her ruling leftist coalition.

"I would like to have the support of my own allies when I run, but if I do not have their support, we will still go ahead," Xinhua quoted Rousseff as saying in a radio interview Wednesday.

She made the remarks in response to a movement within the allied Party of the Republic to back her predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for re-election.

Lula, who served two consecutive terms, remains a beloved political figure. Both Rousseff and Lula are members of the Workers' Party.

Recent polls show Rousseff's popularity among voters is waning, though she is still ahead of her rivals in the presidential race.

Her popularity has been hit by large-scale anti-government protests, which broke out in June against massive public spending on such international sporting events as the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.