Brazil candidate's crash box blank

Brazil's air force said Saturday that the black box recovered after Campos' plane crashed contained two hours of previous recordings but no recording of the executive jet's last moments. The plane crashed into houses in the port city of Santos.

Wednesday's crash killed all seven people on board, including Campos, who was polling third in surveys ahead of the October 5 presidential election.

The air force said the recording's absence would be investigated, adding that the problem was not crucial in the probe into the cause of the crash.

The remains of Campos, 49, who was governor of Pernambuco state and was married with five children, are due to be buried at Recife in the coming days.

Environmentalist Silva tipped to replace Campos

Incumbent president Dilma Rousseff of the Workers's Party (PT) is seeking a second term. She faces business-friendly centrist Aecio Neves of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSB).

Campos' socialists meet next Wednesday to choose a replacement, mostly likely to be his running mate, Marina Silva.

Popular Socialist Party leader Roberto Freire said there was a "concensus" that Silva, an environmentalist, should step in for Campos.

Silva, who was environment minister from 2003 to 2008, won 19.3 percent of the overall vote during Brazil's 2010 presidential race.

Run-off for Rousseff?

Should her candidacy for the socialists be confirmed, it could rob Rousseff of the votes she needs to avoid a second-round run-off.

Silva was not able to register her party in time for the campaign for this year's elections. Campos then invited her to join his team.

Silva's political career began in the Amazon jungle state of Acre, where she worked closely with the rubber-tapper and activist Chico Mendes, who was killed in 1988.

Although then a member of the PT, she resigned in 2008 during policy disagreements with former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. She criticized him for pursuing "material growth at any cost," at the expense of the poor and the environment

She instead joined Brazil's small Green Party (PV) for the 2010 election and latterly the PSB socialists.

Analysts said Silva, although popular with young voters, will need to overcome distrust among some PSB factions that frown upon her conservationist views and anti-establishment style.

ipj/tj (Reuters, AP, IPS, AFP)