Agência Brasil

Brasília - Minister Jaques Wagner, of the Secretariat of Institutional Relations, commented, yesterday (12), that "there is no unqualified support" by the government in favor of the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Severino Cavalcanti (PP-PE), who is accused of charging a bribe to renew a contract for a restaurant concession in the Chamber. "There is no unqualified support for president Severino, when it comes to the investigative process," he affirmed.

Regarding his visit to the president of the Chamber's residence, Monday (12) morning, the minister explained that the visit was to carry out the "task" of establishing relations with the other powers. "President Lula has already made it plain that he thinks that everything must be investigated, regardless of party affiliation, first name, or last name - whoever is guilty must pay," Wagner repeated in the Planalto Palace.

The minister also informed that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's concern is for "the process to be resolved as quickly as possible, without entering into value judgments, to restore normalcy in the voting in the Chamber." He reported that the president, after listening to an account, Sunday (11), on Cavalcanti's collective interview with the press, "upheld the same position: We are not going to consider the question of merit." He went on to say: "This is a matter for the Chamber. I believe that everything needs to be conducted with rigor, but with calm," he insisted.

Translation: David Silberstein