Brazilian president says more concerned with governing than re-election

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said Monday she is more concerned with governing than with her re-election next year.

In a radio interview in Itajuba, Minas Gerais state, the president said she will deal with the upcoming election in due time, but "now I am concerned with governing."

Rousseff said, "it is not the time to be concerned with who is going to run in the election, especially because it has yet to be defined."

Most polls, including the latest, give Rousseff a comfortable lead over potential rivals, with more than 40 percent of respondents saying they would vote for her reelection, which partly explains her confidence.

In addition, Rousseff's closest rival is out of the running. The electoral court struck down the former Senator and Environment Minister Marina Silva's request to start a new party.

Silva, who ranked third in the past presidential election and was ranking second in recent polls, had said she wanted to start a new party because none of the existing ones satisfied her.

But in a surprise move, she joined the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) headed by Pernambuco state Governor Eduardo Campos, who is also in the run for the presidency next year.

It is likely that Silva will be Campos' running mate, for the vice presidency, though nothing has been officially confirmed yet.

But with Campos and Silva joining forces, there is one less candidate in the race.

Rousseff advised her rivals to get a handle on Brazil's problems and prepare solid proposals.

"I believe that those who want to run need to prepare, study a lot, find out what Brazil's problems are and have proposals. I spend my whole day governing, so this (the election) is not something to which I can dedicate all my attention," the president said.