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In a document entitled, "In Defense of the PT, Ethics and Democracy," the board of directors of the PT (Workers' Party) states that charges made by deputy Roberto Jefferson are false and intended to compromise the Lula government and the history of the party.
The PT board of directors met on Saturday, June 18, and voted on the wording of the document.
In the text the document says that there is a "clear link between the accusations against the PT and the opposition, especially the PSDB (former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's party) and PFL."
The document goes on to say that the public testimony by Jefferson, from the PTB (Brazilian Labor Party), before the Ethics Commission of the Congress was little more than PSDB propaganda.
"Now, not content with making false accusations against the government, the opposition... seeks to destabilize the government," says the PT board of directors.
"This is a campaign sponsored by the opposition and the right which seeks to condemn the PT politically and morally based on nonexistent facts and proof."
Tarso Genro, the minister of Education, who participated in the meeting, declared that an attempt at "premeditated delegitimation" was underway by the opposition.
"That is what the PSDB and PFL and the center-right are up to. This a time of great discontent for them. They want the President to fail," he said, adding that even so he considers it all "a natural part of the democratic process... not characterized by an institutional crisis or a conspiracy."
The PT note contains an attack on the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration, saying that contrary to the Lula government they did not allow any Parliamentary Investigative Commissions (CPI) to operate and look into the scandals of the buying of votes for reelection, Sivam, telecommunications sector privatizations and the infamous pink folder case.
The PT document concludes by pointing out that the Lula administration has clearly shown that it is committed to combating corruption.
The document cites 70 actions by the Federal Police resulting in the arrest of 40 people who were civil servants or members of the Federal Police itself.
In 20 of those operations corruption, extortion and malfeasance rings were broken up.
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