União Brasil leader refuses nomination for the Ministry of Communications

The leader of União Brasil in the House, Deputy Pedro Lucas Fernandes (MA) said in a statement on Tuesday that he refused the party’s nomination for the position of Minister of Communications.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had agreed with the party nomination that commanded the portfolio with the previous minister, Juscelino Filho, according to the minister of the Secretariat of Institutional Relations, Gleisi Hoffmann.

“My most sincere excuses to President Lula for not being able to meet this invitation. I receive his gesture with gratitude and reaffirm my willingness to institutional dialogue, always in favor of Brazil,” says the deputy in the note.

“I am the leader of a plural party, with a diverse and committed bench with Brazil. I am fully convinced that, at this moment, I can contribute more to the country and the government itself in the function I perform in the House of Representatives.”

Fernandes had been nominated by his party to take command of the ministry after the resignation of Juscelino Filho, who resigned after being denounced to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) under investigation on misappropriation of public resources at the time he was a federal deputy.