Mr. Lula was the former President of Brazil
At the end of a four-hour long meeting between current President Rousseff and her predecessor Mr. Lula in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, the rendez-vous was adjourned late on Tuesday to be convened on Wednesday. Come Wednesday, Mr. Lula was declared the new Chief of Staff in the new government along with the other ministers sworn in. This is only in another stage in the long-term relationship between the two leaders, which has for long been nurtured by the Workers’ Party. Mr. Lula, who was political mentor to President Rousseff during his time in office, had personally chosen her as his successor.
Mr. Lula, born into a mediocre family in 1945, worked in the automobile industry in Sao Paulo until he achieved public fame by leading strikes during Brazil’s dictatorship. He was the founding member of the Workers’ Party in 1980, Brazil’s first ever socialist party. After four attempts in the Presidential elections, he earned the office in 2002 and was its occupant till 2010, serving two terms. In this period, he encouraged major social causes by investing millions of dollars in programmes such as the Bosla Familia. When he left office in 2010, he departed saying,” I am leaving government to live life on the streets. Man of the people that I always was, I will be more of the people than ever before.”
However, things took a turn when he was named as a party in illicit construction deals recently. He was interrogated in court two weeks ago for hir role in the scandal, named Operation Car Wash. An investigation has been opened at the states oil giant, Petrobas, for corruption. Since then, the prosecution has accused Lula of charges of money laundering and fraud. Yet, no judge has accepted the charges. The case has been given to Federal Judge Sergio Moro, in charge of Operation Car Wash. On the other hand, Mr. Lula has consistently denied any participation in the scam, claiming that it is an attempt to stop him from running for President in 2018 again.
For these reasons, many are accusing President Rousseff of inducting Mr. Lula into the cabinet as an attempt to protect him from a federal trial since under Brazilian law, Cabinet Ministers can only be tried by the Supreme Court. Hence, Judge Moro would no longer have the authority to investigate or try Mr. Lula if he is sworn in as a Cabinet Minister. President Rousseff has naturally refused these claims, saying that shielding Mr. Lula was not the ‘motivation for his appointment.’
Stated the President, “Lula’s arrival in my government strengthens it and there are people who don’t want it to be stronger. He is a skillful political negotiator and experienced leader who will help kick off economic recovery. I believe President Lula, who was in charge of the country for eight years, cannot have his reputation destroyed in this manner,” Mr. Lula’s time as President is widely known to be Brazil’s time of exponential economic growth and wealth redistribution.
What adds to this political mystery in Brazil is the fact that Mr. Lula is expected to lead President Rousseff’s defense in a investigation launched by the Congress, claiming that she manipulated Brazilian books to overshadow a growing fiscal deficit in the country. President Dilma Rousseff is apparently hoping that Mr. Lula can put his political flair to work and cease the impeachment procedures.
Mr. Lula, who is expected to be sworn in early on Thursday morning will take office in the backdrop of widespread protests outside the Presidential Palace in Brasilia and in three other cities. He will have to convince Opposition members in Congress, who chanted “Resignation” repeatedly into a mic soon after the announcement.
Source: BBC
Tags: Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva President Rousseff
