Carolina Pimentel Reporter Agência Brasil
Brasília – After another postponement of the vote on the new Land Use law (“Código Florestal”), Gilberto Carvalho, the president’s main liaison man (head of the “Secretaria-Geral da Presidência”), declared that everyone involved needs to cool off.
“This question cannot be seen as a matter of black and white, or a game between do-or-die rivals. This issue calls for prudence. It is something that affects all of society. We need more balance and less passion because we are dealing with the future of the country,” said Carvalho during an interview on the radio program, Good Morning, Minister, that is produced by the Presidential Secretariat of Social Communication and EBC Services.
A session in the Chamber of Deputies to vote on the Land Use bill written by deputy Aldo Rebelo (PcdoB-SP) was abruptly interrupted by the leader of the government, Cândido Vaccarezza (PT-SP), and the leader of the PT, Paulo Teixeira (SP) when it was discovered that the text was not the same as the text that had been agreed on. This happened after midnight on Wednesday (May 11).
Another attempt to get the code voted on is tentatively scheduled for next Tuesday, May 17. [a background note: Congress has been trying to vote a new Land Use Code into law for 12 years. Now, the issue pits a government that has declared it will not give amnesty to the perpetrators of illegal deforestation that occurred in the past and will not permit illegal deforestation in the future against a powerful farm lobby (“bancada ruralista”) in the Congress that wants a free hand to do what it believes is best. Environmental activists are with the government on this but know that an ugly compromise is the most likely outcome].
According to Gilberto Carvalho, president Dilma Rousseff has been following the negotiations closely but has avoided making public statements on the code while it is being dealt with in Congress.
Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English – content modified
Link - Votação do Código Florestal só será possível se “paixões” forem deixadas de lado, diz ministro
