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Roundup: Lula joins Rousseff's cabinet despite graft charges

Xinhua, March 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said Wednesday that Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been appointed her chief of staff, a move widely seen as sparing the former president from being prosecuted.

"The arrival of president Lula da Silva to this ministry is important and relevant," Rousseff told a press conference on Wednesday.

This appointment comes amid mounting legal worries for Lula as he faces charges of money laundering and obstruction of justice.

Last week, a Sao Paulo judge handed over Lula's case to Federal Judge Sergio Moro, who is overseeing the sweeping corruption investigation into Petrobras, the state-controlled oil company where Rousseff held a seat on the board of directors years ago.

The chief of staff, the most important position in the cabinet, is tasked with keeping all policy matters on track, and has been compared to that of a prime minister. According to Rousseff, Lula will seek to bring financial stability to Brazil as his priority.

The position will grant the ex-president immunity to all prosecution, except from the Supreme Court. The appointment is seen as a move favorable to both Lula and Rousseff who is battling an ongoing impeachment attempt and a deep economic recession. Lula, a champion of the poor, is still one of the most popular politicians in the country six years after leaving office.

After Rousseff's announcement, more than 2,500 people demonstrated outside the presidential palace in Brasilia and other protesters flocked to Sao Paulo's main Avenue Paulista, according to police.

Former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2003) said he was appalled at the move, calling it "scandalous." He called upon the public to "react energetically" against Lula's appointment.

Rousseff has denied any wrongdoing, saying Lula is appointed for his "invaluable political experience" and "commitment to the strategic policies." The appointment does not mean Lula is above law as the former president could still be tried by the Supreme Court, said Rousseff.

Lula's nomination is seen as part of Rousseff efforts to fight for her ruling Workers' Party's political future.

In the same press conference, Rousseff named Mauro Ribeiro, a deputy from her allied party PMDB as new Minister of Civil Aviation. The move has been interpreted as a way to curry favor with the PMDB, a major ally of the Workers' Party.

On Wednesday, PMDB's leader Michel Temer, who is also Rousseff's Vice President, flatly denied wrongdoing in the Petrobras scandal, saying he "will not accept baseless accusations."

Temer was accused by Senator Delcidio Amaral of appointing two Petrobras directors involved in the corruption scandal.

Since his arrest, Amaral has collaborated with prosecutors in the so-called Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash) in order to reduce his own jail time.

He has accused many of Brazil's top leaders of being involved in the Petrobras corruption ring, including Lula, Rousseff, Temer, and Aecio Neves, the former presidential candidate for the PSDB party. Endi