Brasília - This afternoon the president of the Congress, senator Renan Calheiros (PMDB-AL) will officially open the 2006 legislative session in a ceremony in the Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) in the presence of the Chief Justice (presidente) of the Supreme Court, Nelson Jobim, and the president of the lower house, Aldo Rebelo (PCdoB-SP); and the presidential Chief of Staff (ministra da Casa Civil), Dilma Rousseff; along with eleven ambassadors and all the congressional leaders of political parties.

This is formally known as the 4th session of the 52nd Legislature, which began in 2003. It is praxis for a presidential message to be read as part of the opening ceremony of a legislative session.

Translation: Allen Bennett