Global General

Brazil's president-elect completes cabinet lineup

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-23 12:44

RIO DE JANEIRO- Brazilian President-elect Dilma Rousseff on Wednesday named the last two members for her cabinet, completing the lineup of her government.

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Parliament member Iriny Lopes was named to lead the Special Secretariat for Women's Rights, and Afonso Florence will become minister of agricultural development.

The president-elect did not create any new positions in the cabinet.

Among 37 cabinet members, 17 are from the ruling Workers' Party (PT), while the other six come from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), to which Vice President-elect Michel Temer belongs.

Six ministers are affiliated to other allied parties and eight have no political affiliation. No ministries are occupied by members of the opposition party.

Rousseff kept seven cabinet members from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's administration. The ministers of Finance, Labor, Education, Defense, Agriculture and Environment were maintained in their positions, and current Planning Minister Paulo Bernardo will take over the Communications Ministry.

Brazil's first female president-elect has chosen nine women for her cabinet, the highest number of female ministers in Brazil's history.

They will fill the top positions in budget and planning, fishing, human rights, social development, racial equality, women's right, social communication, environment and culture.

Rousseff and her cabinet will take office on the afternoon of Jan 1, 2011, in Brazil's capital of Brasilia.