Luciana Vasconcelos
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - Yesterday (17), the PT's National Executive Committee issued a request asking the nation's forgiveness. According to the communication, "for the first time the party is asking for the country's pardon, for acts practiced by leaders of the party without the knowledge of other party members, acts that in the eyes of the Brazilian nation, were morally and politically condemnable."

In its note, the PT asserts that, when all those who acted irregularly admit responsibility for what they did, as is the case of the ex-treasurer of the party, Delúbio Soares, their names will be announced publicly.

The Executive Committee also said that these acts were shameful for the PT and the government. "We are getting our act back together, reorganizing our administrative structures and attempting to deal with the political crisis to defend the continuation of the government under President Lula's leadership," the note informs. "It is impossible to evaluate the depth and the seriousness of the damages."

The note goes on to express confidence and desire in favor of President Lula's mandate, as well as calling for the need to respect the party's internal differences of opinion to a greater extent and doing away with the informal relationships that exist between the government and the party, which, according to the note, are not transparent and "only serve to benefit the manipulation of party circles by leaders who enjoy greater access to power."

The PT's Executive Committee suggests that all municipal party groups hold debates and shows of force in favor of the PT and Lula's Administration on August 27.

Translation: David Silberstein