LULA

BRASILIA, (Reuters):

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked for opposition support yesterday to overhaul a political system vulnerable to corruption and said he would not seek a third term in 2010.

In the more than six months since Lula was re-elected on October 30, he has been able to negotiate an 11-party alliance that has a majority in both houses of Congress.

But disagreement on political reform within the alliance has forced him to seek opposition support for proposals to limit lawmakers' ability to switch parties and tighten campaign financing rules.

Lack of loyalty

Politicians in Brazil often switch political parties for short-term electoral gains, making it difficult to forge lasting governing alliances.

"We now have to talk with the opposition," the former union leader said on his weekly radio address. "We all need to work to recover credibility in the political institutions, especially political parties."

Lula had pledged political reform last year after his own ruling Workers' Party admitted using illicit campaign funds in 2002. The party was also accused of bribing legislators to achieve a majority in Congress.