Brasília, February 12, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Constitutional amendment proposal (PEC) that sanctions expropriation of properties where there is proof of slave labor should be ratified by the end of the month at the latest, informed Deputy Luiz Eduardo Greenhalgh (PT-SP) in an interview today on the "NBr Morning" show, on the Radiobras cable TV channel.

According to the deputy, yesterday's (11) approval in record time of the bill's constitutionality, in the Constitution and Justice Commission, demonstrates the Chamber's desire to move ahead with the proposal "to clean up slave labor in Brazil." Greenhalgh recalled that the president of the Chamber, João Paulo Cunha (PT-SP), has already initiated the time period for enrollment in the special commission which will debate the merits of the bill. But, in Greenhalg's opinion, "there should be no resistance, because the great majority is in favor of promulgating Deputy Paulo Rocha's PEC, which has been under discussion since 1995 and has already been approved in the Senate." (DAS)