São Paulo, March 5, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Senator Eduardo Suplicy (PT-SP) said, in this capital, that, to defend the government, the PT, and himself, the head of the Presidential Civilian Advisory Staff, Minister José Dirceu, should appear spontaneously before the National Congress to assuage the doubts that the opposition has raised, "mainly whether Waldomiro Diniz committed any irregularity in the Secretariat of Parliamentary Affairs of the Civilian Advisory Office," Suplicy affirmed.

Suplicy recalled that President Lula said that members of his Cabinet would appear before the National Congress whenever it was necessary. Among other examples, he cited the Minister of Finance, Antônio Palocci, who has already appeared several times before Congress. "The Minister who is considered the most important one in the Administration has still not appeared," the Senator from the PT pointed out, referring to Dirceu. (DAS)