Simon: Sarney, was there a 'strange' conversation with Dirceu?
A senator from Rio Grande do Sul, a politician without censorship, asked José Sarney in plenary if he and José Dirceu had discussed the possibility that, due to a series of errors, President Dilma might not finish her term; that conversation did not take place on those topics, replied the astute senator; so, did it take place on other topics?
Evam Sena_247, Brasília – During the order of the day in the Senate plenary this Thursday, the 11th, Senator Pedro Simon (PMDB-RS) questioned the president of the House, José Sarney (PMDB-AP), about the conversation he allegedly had with former minister José Dirce yesterday, after the arrest of 35 people linked to the alleged fraud in the Ministry of Tourism, among them the executive secretary of the ministry, PMDB member Frederico Silva Costa.
According to a column by journalist Claudio Humberto, published in several newspapers in Brazil, Dirceu had private conversations with allied politicians, including Sarney, in which he said he was "terrified" by Dilma's mistakes in her relationship with political parties and expressed concern that the president might not complete her term.
In response, Sarney denied the content of the conversation, but it was unclear whether or not contact with Dirceu had occurred. "I can assure you that this conversation did not take place on these topics. Now, I want to reaffirm my solidarity with the President of the Republic, wishing – as I am certain – that she will continue to do a good job and that she will undoubtedly do an excellent job for the Brazilian people," he said.
In an interview with Brasil 247 this morning, Dirceu also denied the conversation. "I never said that to anyone. That's absurd. There's no crisis whatsoever, much less an institutional one. I didn't speak to any senator," he asserted.
Pedro Simon, known for his fearlessness in addressing thorny issues for the government and his party, called the news "very strange," denied that Sarney would make "any allusion to a movement in that direction," and attacked Dirceu.
"The president may have made mistakes. Even on this issue, several people acknowledge that there were mistakes. But to say that, because of these errors, she won't finish her term... Because of him [Dirceu], Lula almost didn't finish his term. I think he could have kept a little quieter," the PMDB member attacked.