Speculation about future of Communications Minister Miro Teixeira

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has no intention of firing Communications Minister Miro Teixeira, a senior Government official tells PAY-TV News, despite media speculation due to opposition to pension reform from the Democratic Labor Party (PDT), to which Mr Teixeira belongs. PDT Chairman Leonel Brizola has come out strongly against the pension reform bill Lula plans to send Congress, and Miro Teixeira himself is opposed to the bill according to press reports.
The senior official, who is very close to Lula, says the plan is to have Mr Teixeira mobilize support for Lula inside the PDT so that Mr Brizola is overruled and at least a significant portion of the party votes with the Government on pension reform. Furthermore, the official says, President Lula is pleased with Mr Teixeira?s success in reformulating the respective positions of the Communications Ministry and Anatel, with the ministry is now empowered to set rates for telephone and other public services as well as developing a framework for communications policy in general.
Move to PT?

But there are other equally logical rumors, albeit without confirmation by sources close to the president. One assumes Miro Teixeira is about to move from the PDT to Lula?s own Workers Party (PT), step down as minister and resume his seat in Congress as majority leader in the lower house. This would steal the PDT?s thunder, reward Miro Teixeira for his activism and make room for someone else at the communications ministry, probably from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), a crucial ally of the PT in Congress. These are rumors, but key coalition congressmen take them seriously.