Lula signs anti-corruption pledge

Transparencia Brasil urges other presidential candidates to join Lula in signing Anti-Corruption Pledge ahead of forthcoming elections

The leading candidate in Brazil's Presidential elections, Luiz Inácio da Silva (Lula), of the Workers' Party, signed an Anti-Corruption Pledge prepared by Transparencia Brasil, the national chapter of Transparency International (TI). Lula signed on 25 September, just ahead of the first round ballot on October 6. Lula was the first candidate to sign the pledge.

In the pledge, TBrasil has set out eight measures considered fundamental to curb corruption, in particular to redress the problem of inadequate control mechanisms in the state and society. The most important measure is the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Agency. The Agency would draw up an anti-corruption plan within six months with the participation of the Legislature, the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor's office, the Supreme Audit Court and, as observers, civil society organisations. After this period, the Agency would orchestrate the implementation of the plan.

The pledge also includes initiatives concerning public procurement, the establishment of a network of Ombudsmen in the federal government, the prohibition of hiring relatives by public officials, the strengthening of investigative organs, the implementation of international anti-corruption conventions (OECD and OAS) ratified by Brazil, and the consolidation of the initiatives of the current government in the areas of corruption control and conflict-of-interest resolution.

Eduardo Capobianco, President of TBrasil, hailed Lula's signing of the Anti-Corruption Pledge as "evidence that he is a candidate prepared to make a commitment to stamp out corruption. We urge all the candidates to sign this pledge in the knowledge that they will be expected to live up to their word."

According to Cláudio Weber Abramo, TBrasil General Secretary and a member of the Board of Transparency International, "this is a very important landmark in Brazilian political history." He continued: "For the first time, a leading political candidate has unambiguously acknowledged that corruption cannot be curbed by fine words alone."

Peter Eigen, Chairman of Transparency International, saw the news as an important development. "As South America's largest country, and an important player on the world stage, a pledge from the leading Presidential candidate in Brazil to take a firm stand against corruption will set an example to many other countries, not least to Argentina in next year's elections."

For further information, please contact:

Jeff Lovitt (TI Secretariat)
Tel: +49-30-3438 2045
Email: press@transparency.org

Cláudio Weber Abramo (Transparencia Brasil)
Tel: +55 11 3062 3436
Email: cwabramo@uol.com.br