Brasília, August 8, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Even in the face of pressure from allied parties, especially the PMDB, desirous of positions in the Administration, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ruled out the possibility of making changes in his Cabinet at this time.
In an interview for this Saturday's (16) edition of Veja magazine, the President once again uses a soccer metaphor to sum up his satisfaction with his current Ministers: "Soccer coaches don't replace a player ten minutes into the match. Governments should act likewise." he said.
Lula cited as an example his Minister of Food Security, José Graziano. The President recalled that he was subjected to pressure during his first months in office to replace Graziano, but he held steadfast, because he believed in the Minister's capacity. The President affirmed that, if any Cabinet change is made, it will not occur prior to the conclusion of the Administration's first year in office.
"I always told mayors and governors from the PT that they should evaluate their teams after their first twelve months in office. Not before. And they should not be influenced by newspaper headlines. If I had taken seriously what they said, José Graziano would have been gone after three months," he pointed out.
Lula was also very critical of speculations that circulated at the beginning of August about removing the Minister of Finance, Antônio Palocci. According to the President, whoever bets against the Minister, "is going to lose." And he concluded: "If someone wants to win a bet, I recommend a bet in favor of Palocci. Palocci enjoys my entire confidence. He is not here because he wanted to be; he's here because I wanted him to be. He is one of the companions who enjoys my highest degree of confidence, companionship, and loyalty," he emphasized.
RADICALS
Even though his administrative team is made up of good "companions" of long-standing, Lula also availed himself of the interview to comment on the so-called "PT radicals."
In the President's opinion, there is a type of person that "is better to have against you than on your side." He recalled a conversation he had in 1979 with his economist friend, Celso Furtado, who told him that the ultra-leftists serve as an alert indicating the political path to follow, neither so much to the left, nor to the right. "Basically, they help keep you on the middle course. This is something that helps keep me calm," he assured.
Lula affirmed that he is not irritated by the behavior of old allies who nowadays criticize his Administration openly, and he made a confession: He said that the President does not have the right to become irritated. "At 57 years of age, I have already suffered all the blows I had to suffer. I've exhausted my capacity to become irritated." He rules out internal problems in his Administration. He said that he is very satisfied with the performance of his team, and he made a point of mentioning Ciro Gomes, Minister of National Integration, as one of the collaborators with whom he has an excellent relationship.
Neither is the President irritated by social demands for change. In Lula's opinion, the population has the right to make demands. Nevertheless, the President continues firm in his proposal to adopt the measures that he considers most correct for the country. "I don't want to be part of a wave. A pretty wave comes, and everyone wants to surf it; then the wave ends, and nobody knows what to do. We must be patient. You can't give shocks to the economy. Let's wait."
AGRARIAN REFORM
The President reaffirmed the Administration's willingness not only to distribute land, but to provide the new settlers with the means to survive decently.
"I continue to believe that we shall reach a general agreement with workers who are fighting for agrarian reform in Brazil, but we can't repeat the mistakes of the past. How many settlements are really productive? (...) Settling someone means providing technical support, access to seeds, credit when it is needed, and price guarantees. I have said things that I later recognized were exaggerated. But I can tell those who are interested that in Brazil nobody will bring about agrarian reform through the use of force. The reform will occur at the right moment and within what conditions permit," he stressed.
Despite all the challenges he faces, Lula doesn't regret having become President. He guarantees that he dreamt a lot about this moment, and he disclosed that he has given up a lot of his private life in order to transform Brazil into a more decent nation.
"If there is anyone who can't complain about limitations that come with the office of President, it's I. I struggled a lot to get to where I am. I spent my whole life wanting to be President. If there is one thing I enjoy doing, it is exercising my mandate. I have to dedicate my life to this. I realize that I am risking my history on this mandate. There are people at my door Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. There are people watching me all the time. But do you want to know what is worse? It's not having this," he guaranteed. And, in conclusion: " I always have fun with my friends telling them this: Do you know what is worse than giving autographs and taking pictures? It's the day when nobody wants either an autograph or to take a picture with you." (DAS)
