Rio, November 21, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - President Fernando Henrique Cardoso declared yesterday that Brazilian politics has acquired a dynamic of its own, based on the knowledge that it is necessary to build on what already exists. "Criticizing and modifying things, but not necessarily reinventing the wheel," he said.

Speaking at the inauguration of the renovated National Archives, Cardoso said it was essential to treasure the past so the future can be planned in a consistent manner.

Cardoso refuted what he called the Brazilian mania where new governments discard everything that had been done before they take office. "We have reached a level where this no longer makes any sense," he said. (AB)