Brasília, September 3, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reaffirmed the Administration's commitment to include the PMDB in the government's support base for the next four years. He made this statement, yesterday (2), at a luncheon with the party's leadership at the Planalto Palace.

"President Lula did not signal either the quantity or the Ministries that the PMDB can or should occupy in the Administration. President Lula signalled and reaffirmed his commitment in the sense of PMDB participation in the Cabinet, just as the other parties that form the allied base participate in the Administration," guaranteed the leader of the government in the Chamber, Deputy Aldo Rebelo (PCdoB-SP).

The leader was the first to leave the luncheon. He changed the subject when asked about the number of Ministries that might be offered the PMDB. "The importance of the PMDB for the government is not convertible into the number of Ministries that the party might occupy or that the government might offer," he emphasized. Rebelo assured that at no moment did the PMDB ask for posts or even press for a definition. "The PMDB did not insist on any action by the government in this sense," Rebelo affirmed.

The government leader reaffirmed the PMDB's willingness to approve the tax reform and vote for projects that are of interest to the government. "The loyalty of the leaders of the PMDB and its parliamentary base is determined in fact by the way they vote on issues relevant to the government and to the country. The PMDB did not make a commitment, because they had already committed themselves, ever since they joined the government's support base by voting in favor of the projects that are in the interests of the country and the government," the leader emphasized. (DAS)