Brasília, January 23, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Two of the projects that were assigned priority by the government when it convened the special session of Congress fell into a waiting pattern. Discussions on both the biosecurity and the public-private partnership (PPP) projects will only begin next week. Voting, still at the commission stage, will not get underway before February 3.

Both projects received approval on the floor of the Chamber to be treated under the Constitutional regime of urgency, but, according to leaders of the government, this mechanism is only a guarantee that the matters will be concluded by February 13. "We approve urgency just to provide security, but we don't want to vote on anything in a rush. We are not going to act by running over things," said the vice-leader of the government, Professor Luizinho (PT/SP).

The Biosecurity Commission is beginning a series of debates on the opinion delivered by Deputy Aldo Rebelo (PCdoB/SP), replaced yesterday by Renildo Calheiros (PCdoB/PE) as reporter for the bill. The text is already complete, and the government is working to keep it from being modified, despite opposition from within the PT itself. Defenders of the environment criticize the end of making environmental licensing a requirement for carrying out field research, as Rebelo's opinion suggests.

An opinion on the PPP bill will only be presented on February 2. Even though it was installed today by the president of the Chamber, João Paulo, the special commission on the merits of the bill has already lost one member. Deputy Patrus Ananias (PT/MG), who was the reporter for the project, was invited to assume the Ministry of Social Development, a super-post that will command the entire social area of Lula's government. Paulo Bernardo (PT/PR) was chosen to take his place as reporter.

Next week the Chamber will concentrate on holding floor votes on the Provisional Measures (MPs). Four MPs have been approved so far, and there are still four others that need to be analyzed by the special session in order to unblock the agenda. Nevertheless, next week's most controversial vote should involve the MPs for the Electric Energy Sector. Fernando Ferro (PT/PE), reporter of the MP that defines the rules for the new model, guarantees that he will deliver his opinion next week in order for the text to go to the floor for a vote. (DAS)