Its former coalition partner, the (conservative) PartyoftheLiberalFront, has changed its name to the Democrats as part of a stampede for the middle ground of Brazilian politics.
Mr Serra also lost (to Mr Gomes) the backing of much ofthe conservative LiberalFrontparty, one ofthe pillars of Mr Cardoso's coalition and powerful in Brazil's north-east.
Before the general election in Japan, theLiberal Democratic Party explicitly put this and all other territorial claims onto thefront burner of its political agenda.