President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said today (2) that the minister responsible for the economy will have the necessary autonomy, but it must be remembered that he was elected and that the government will make decisions that benefit the most needy.
“People have to know that I won these elections to govern for the most humble people in this country”, said Lula in the first press conference he gave at the headquarters of the transitional government, at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, in Brasília, since he was elected. . As a result, the president stated that the biggest decisions in the economic area will always involve his participation.
One of the measures highlighted by Lula in the economic area as non-negotiable is the real increase in the minimum wage linked to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a policy that was in force in previous PT governments. “It’s no use for the GDP to grow by 10% if the people don’t participate in it”, said the president-elect.
ministers
Lula said he has already tried “80% of the ministry in his head”, but that he will only announce names after being certified as president, in ceremony scheduled for September 12 at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). However, he confirmed that the Esplanada should once again have more than 30 ministries.
“The base of my ministry will be the base that I had in my second term, plus the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples”, said Lula. “We need to give a sign of respect to the indigenous population that lives in our country,” she said. Another change defined by the transition team is to divide the Economy portfolio in two again, returning the Ministries of Finance and Planning.
Another confirmation made by Lula was that the PT president, Gleisi Hoffmann, will not be a minister. During the press conference, she was at the president-elect’s side at all times. Lula said that the decision is a recognition of the work that she has been carrying out in the leadership of the party. “Being president of this party today is as or more important than being a minister,” she said.
Lula also said that he still had to talk to smaller parties and representatives of sectors of society that supported his election before announcing the ministerial cabinet.
Transition PEC
The president-elect was confident in the approval of the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) sent to Congress on Monday (28) to modify the budget. The text proposes, for example, the removal of the spending ceiling of the R$ 600 benefit of the Auxílio Brasil program, which should be renamed Bolsa Família.
“What interests me is the PEC that we sent and has already been discussed with several leaders, with the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber”, said Lula when asked about what could be granted by approving the current text. “If you need to negotiate, we know how to make a deal”.
Lula denied that the forecast for the release of amendments to the so-called “secret budget” is being included in the text, individual headings inserted in the Budget by parliamentarians, but that do not identify who was the author of the project that resulted in the expenses. The president-elect said he was in favor of parliamentary amendments, as long as they are transparent and are in line with the government’s budget guidelines and political conveniences. “It cannot stay the way it is, I think everyone is convinced of that,” he said.
The president-elect also sought to reassure the beneficiaries of the current Auxílio Brasil, after the transitional government identified the atypical inclusion of millions of beneficiaries in the program two months before the election. He confirmed that a review will be required. “Those who really need it can rest assured,” he said. “If there is a bomb set, we are specialists in defusing a bomb, we will not let a bomb explode”.
After the press conference, Lula went to São Paulo, where he will watch Brazil’s match against Cameroon in the first phase of the World Cup.
