Lula quotes monthly allowance, charges allies and admits mistakes – 02/17/2023 – Politics

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) has repeated to allies that he does not want to face another scandal such as the monthly allowance —the main corruption case in the PT’s first term and to this day a source of wear and tear for the party.

Lula has carried out the assessment reserved for close advisors. In these conversations, he asks for commitment in the supervision and control of the government; and also points out that everyone has a responsibility to fight corruption.

According to people who follow the PT, Lula has demonstrated his intention to consolidate his biography with the third term at the head of the Planalto, trying to establish himself as the popular leader who defeated the extreme right in the country and reduce the electoral weight that old cases of corruption traditionally impose on the PT.

The president’s intention, however, may come up against the alliance he signed with the centrão, which includes appointing him to key positions in companies that have already been the target of complaints of irregularities.

Petistas recognize that corruption is a flank of the party. The theme, according to members of the party, had weight in the tight vote in October, when Lula beat former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) by 50.9% of the valid votes against 49.1%.

A Sheet heard reports from people close to the president, who had private conversations with him during the formation of the new government and at the beginning of the administration.

In conversations, the president recognizes that there were mistakes in previous administrations. In the opinion of allies, the third term is essential for cases of corruption such as the monthly allowance to detach from Lula’s image.

Now 77 years old, he has said that there is no room for error at this stage of his career.

The monthly allowance was an illegal political financing scheme in exchange for parliamentary support in Lula’s first term (2003-2006). It was revealed in 2005 by then federal deputy Roberto Jefferson (PTB-RJ) in an interview with Sheet. The president’s speech was adjusted over time until he began to admit the government’s mistakes, but without pointing out blame.

Lula’s opponents often use allegations of corruption in the PT governments —especially the Mensalão and Petrolão—as ammunition to attack the PT.

In the 2022 campaign, one of Bolsonaro’s main strategies was to associate Lula with corruption cases, hoping to increase the PT’s rejection. The former president and allies often refer to Lula as an “ex-convict”, in reference to the 580 days that the PT member remained in prison as a result of his conviction in Lava Jato —subsequently annulled.

In response, the PT’s electoral strategy was to defend anti-corruption mechanisms created in the Lula and Dilma Rousseff governments.

During the campaign, Lula was questioned about the monthly allowance in Jornal Nacional. On the occasion, he insisted in his speech that the PT government created investigation mechanisms that exposed cases of corruption.

During the campaign, Lula even came to present measures by Dilma and Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB) as his own. This is the case of the Anti-Corruption Law, which holds companies accountable for crimes against the public administration, sanctioned by Dilma in 2013.

Another example is the creation of the CGU (Comptroller General of the Union), founded by the toucan in 2001.

Today, these two instruments —CGU and the Anti-Corruption Law— should be used to reinforce the government’s oversight system. One idea is to expand the performance of the control body, which has offices in all states, in Federal Police investigations.

Members of the Lula government have the view that, by expanding investigations, there will be an inhibition of illicit practices, in addition to increasing the chances of leniency agreements and denouncements of irregularities.

In an interview with CNN Brasil this Thursday (16), Lula was asked what the criteria will be for deciding whether or not a member of the government will be exonerated when there is a complaint of irregularities.

The president highlighted the importance of the CGU in this process.

“For me, everyone, without distinction, will have the right to the presumption of innocence. When there is a complaint, we will see internally, through the CGU, the investigation [do caso] to find out if the complaint is valid”, declared the president.

“If he is guilty, the person will simply leave the government”, he added.

In the same interview, he downplayed the link between minister Daniela Carneiro (Tourism) and militiamen from Baixada Fluminense, in Rio de Janeiro.

To expand the base of the government, Lula has made agreements with the centrão and distributed positions in state-owned companies, such as Codevasf (Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco and Parnaíba), which is being investigated for suspected corruption in paving works.

The PT government also made an agreement with Arthur Lira (PP-AL) so that part of the ministries’ budget is used to pay for amendments by novice deputies who helped to re-elect the president of the Chamber.

When the monthly allowance scheme was revealed, Lula first hinted in an interview in Paris that the electoral slush fund was disseminated among parties in the country.

Weeks later, under pressure, he made a statement alongside ministers saying he was outraged by the “revelations that shock the country”.

Over the years, the tone has changed. In 2010, still as president, he classified the political crisis as an “attempted coup”.

The Supreme concluded the trial of the monthly allowance in 2013, condemning 25 people, including former minister José Dirceu, coordinator of the victorious 2002 campaign. Valdemar Costa Neto (PL).

After years away from the spotlight, Dirceu has been rehabilitated by PT leaders. In the act celebrating the PT’s 43rd anniversary, the former minister received a greeting from Lula.

“Comrades and companions, I want to thank each one of you, women and men. Comrade José Dirceu, thank you because I know how much you were supportive of what I went through. I want to thank all the presidents of the party and here I am seeing the Gleisi and Rui Falcão, José Dirceu and I was president [do partido]”, he said.