Brazil’s former president to join Rousseff administration
by Agency Staff,
2016-03-16 06:50:41.0
BRASÍLIA — Brazil’s former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is about to join the government of his protégée Dilma Rousseff, administration sources said on Tuesday, as both seek to save their political lives.
The move would amount to a risky bet that the aura around Mr Lula’s administration, a period of watershed prosperity in Brazil, still outshines the economic and political mess the country has descended into under Ms Rousseff.
"There are two possibilities for Lula in the government: chief of staff or cabinet secretary," a source revealed, saying the former president would travel to Brasilia on Monday or Tuesday to discuss his options with Ms Rousseff. Speculation had swirled in recent days that such a move was imminent.
Mr Lula is facing charges linked to a corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras, and Ms Rousseff faces an impeachment drive, a deep recession and mass protests. Besides trying to leverage Mr Lula’s charisma, a cabinet appointment would have the added bonus for the ruling Workers’ Party of saving Mr Lula, its co-founder, from prosecution in ordinary court. Ministers can only be tried before the Supreme Court in Brazil.
But the source denied the move was aimed at protecting Mr Lula from arrest. "The goal is to help the president confront the impeachment process … (and) not to escape justice," the source said, adding: "Lula is the only man capable of resolving" the current crisis.
AFP
BRASÍLIA — Brazil’s former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is about to join the government of his protégée Dilma Rousseff, administration sources said on Tuesday, as both seek to save their political lives.
The move would amount to a risky bet that the aura around Mr Lula’s administration, a period of watershed prosperity in Brazil, still outshines the economic and political mess the country has descended into under Ms Rousseff.
"There are two possibilities for Lula in the government: chief of staff or cabinet secretary," a source revealed, saying the former president would travel to Brasilia on Monday or Tuesday to discuss his options with Ms Rousseff. Speculation had swirled in recent days that such a move was imminent.
Mr Lula is facing charges linked to a corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras, and Ms Rousseff faces an impeachment drive, a deep recession and mass protests. Besides trying to leverage Mr Lula’s charisma, a cabinet appointment would have the added bonus for the ruling Workers’ Party of saving Mr Lula, its co-founder, from prosecution in ordinary court. Ministers can only be tried before the Supreme Court in Brazil.
But the source denied the move was aimed at protecting Mr Lula from arrest. "The goal is to help the president confront the impeachment process … (and) not to escape justice," the source said, adding: "Lula is the only man capable of resolving" the current crisis.
AFP
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