Ana Paula Marra and Nelson Motta
Reporters Agência Brasil

Brasília - The minister of Mines and Energy, Dilma Rousseff, has been appointed presidential chief of staff (Casa Civil), where she will substitute José Dirceu who resigned and is returning to the Chamber of Deputies where he represents the state of São Paulo. The president of the Energy Research Corporation, Mauricio Tolmasquim, will become acting minister of Mines and Energy.

Rousseff is an economist. She has been Rio Grande do Sul state secretary of Finance (1986-88) and state secretary of Energy, Mines and Communications (1993-94).

She was a member of the Luis Inacio Lula da Silva transition team and has been a member of his cabinet since he took office in January 2003.

Translator: Allen Bennett