Brazilian president nominates three new ministers

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva swore in three ministers of health, justice and national integration on Friday.

Jose Gomes Temporao will run the Ministry of Health. According to President Lula, several former ministers regarded Temporao as an extraordinary option.

Tarso Genro becomes Minister of Justice, replacing Marcio Thomaz Bastos, who took office as Lula started his government and was one of the few ministers to have remained in their positions since then. Tarso Genro was Minister of Education and Secretary of Institutional Affairs in Lula's cabinet during his first term from 2003 to 2006.

Geddel Vieira Lima, federal representative of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), is the new Minister of National Integration. President Lula considered the ministry a demonstration of the consolidation of the political coalition between the government and the party that holds the largest number of seats in Congress.

The president also stressed that Lima's ministry will take responsibility for the implementation of the water supply policies. One of the National Integration plans for this year is to irrigate the driest lands in Brazil, by transferring water from one of the country's largest rivers, the Sao Francisco.

Source: Xinhua