Lula praises Simone Tebet, but says he doesn't want to "rush" into appointing ministers.
The former president stated that he has already been thinking about forming his cabinet: "I've been thinking about it on my pillow, because if I mention it to anyone, the news will leak."
By Guilherme Levorato, 247 - Despite repeatedly stating that he does not want to sit in the presidential chair before defeating Jair Bolsonaro (PL) at the polls, former president Lula (PT) has been pressured to give indications about who his ministers will be in a possible new government.
This pressure falls mainly on the Ministry of Economy, but other ministries are also targets of questioning. On Wednesday morning (26), in an interview with Rádio Mix de Manaus (AM), Lula was asked about what role Senator Simone Tebet (MDB-MS) will have in his eventual government. She was the third most voted presidential candidate in the first round and became an important ally of the PT in the second stage of the election.
Lula praised the congresswoman, but stated he couldn't "rush" into appointing ministers. "What's my concern? Depending on my answer, tomorrow a newspaper might publish the headline: 'Lula chose Simone to be minister.' And I don't want that. We'll have to talk to the MDB. Simone, although she's supporting me, and I'm grateful for the work she's doing, is an important political figure, a competent woman, she greatly valued women's participation in the campaign. Obviously, we can get a lot of contribution from Simone. But I just can't say she'll be a minister because I'd be rushing something I don't want to rush. There are only four days left until the elections, just four days. When 19 or 20 pm arrives, we'll have the results. Then, if I win, I'll start discussing the cabinet. Then I promise I'll call you, you'll interview me, and I'll tell you who will be part of the cabinet."
Although he doesn't want to reveal the names, Lula was asked if his team is already formed. The former president indicated that he is already thinking about his cabinet. "I've been thinking about it on my pillow, because if I talk to anyone about it, the news will leak, and I don't want that to leak. I want to win the elections first. That's the main objective."
For the Workers' Party member, this year's election is a choice between democracy and barbarism. "Either the people will vote to keep democracy, to keep the Manaus Free Trade Zone, to keep this country being a civilized country, or the people will vote for barbarism, which is President Bolsonaro. That's what's at stake, and the people will decide sovereignly, and everyone will accept whatever they decide, because we don't doubt the ballot box. This president was elected ten times by electronic voting and never complained. Now, since he knows he's going to lose, he's trying to find something to blame, and he's blaming the ballot box. And he's going to lose the elections because he ran a bad government, he doesn't understand government, he doesn't talk to governors, mayors, unions, businesspeople, health movements, indigenous people, or quilombola communities. He only talks to his family and prepares every day to do his live broadcasts and tell lies to the country."
"The people will vote sovereignly in a democracy. Now, Bolsonarism will continue. The hatred will continue for a while, the fanatics will continue for a while. But I think we will have a process of reconciliation," he reflected.
Manaus without oxygen.
The former president commented on the collapse of the Manaus health system during the Covid-19 pandemic, when several patients died in health units due to a lack of oxygen cylinders.
"The neglect shown by the current government towards the state of Amazonas will never be repeated. Never again will anyone die from lack of oxygen. Never again. The behavior of the President of the Republic was disrespectful to the people of the state of Amazonas. It was disrespectful of him to imitate people drowning without water, on a bed. This man delayed the vaccines by 45 days, and at least half of the deaths in Brazil are due to his irresponsibility, to play with the pandemic, to try to sell medicine that didn't work, to try to deceive the people by selling medicine that didn't work, to tell the people not to get vaccinated, and to have Minister Pazuello. You know..." The party they held in Manaus amidst the chaos of the pandemic.", he said.
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