Ex-President Lula Accepts Rousseff's Invitation to Become Chief-of-Staff

03/16/2016 - 13h33

The former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva accepted on Wednesday (16) an invitation from President Dilma Rousseff to become her Chief-of-Staff.

The appointment was made in a meeting at the Alvorada Palace. The ministers Nelson Barbosa (Finance) and Jaques Wagner were also present. Wagner, who was Chief-of-Staff, will now become executive secretary at the ministry.

The information comes from Afonso Florence, the Workers' Party (PT) leader in parliament, and José Guimarães, the government's leader in parliament.

Lula met President Rousseff and Wagner for coffee on Wednesday morning.

The appointment will be accompanied by a ministerial reshuffle and the entrance of some of Lula's own allies in Rousseff's government - a condition he demanded before accepting the invitation.

One such ally is Celso Amorim, who Lula would like to see at the Foreign Ministry. It is also possible that Aloizio Mercadante may be replaced at the Ministry of Education. Other names, such as Ciro Gomes, have also been aired by PT members.

Lula has claimed that his return to the frontline of government will be worthless without the construction of a team capable of making changes, even in economic policy.

This last condition is of concern, not only for the market, but also for contacts of Lula's in the business community, given that the ex-president advocates measures such as the sale of international reserves, forced reduction of interest rates and increasing the availability of credit.

However, a change in Brazil's political direction would not only justify Lula's return to government, but it would help to counter accusations that he has only accepted the appointment in order to evade justice, since government ministers are entitled to privileged jurisdiction.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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