MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonaro will not participate in Lula's taking office ceremony; who will deliver the presidential sash?

Lula's wife is programming a popular party and celebration for next January first when the taking office ceremony

Outgoing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has informed his immediate advisors and followers that he will not be participating in the January first taking office ceremony of president-elect Lula da Silva. “It has been 100% decided, there's no going back”, was the message from the conservative leader.

With Bolsonaro's refusal the official responsible for handing the presidential sash at the Planalto Palace should be Vice-president Hamilton Mourao, but he was elected Senator for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and thus such a possibility was discarded.

“The presidential sash must be between the outgoing president and the incoming president. I'm not the president, I have no power to take the sash off or have it put on the next head of the Executive”.

Decree 70.274 from March 1972 sets the official rules for the taking office of the new president.. Accordingly the new head of the Executive must be received at the main entrance of the Planalto Palace, so that “the lack of solemnity is no impediment for Lula taking office”, according to lawmakers who have interpreted the decree.

Anyhow it should be remembered that during the presidential runoff at the end of October, Lula mentioned that he expected to see the president on his inauguration, “Bolsonaro should have the humility, on January first, to place the sash across my chest”

Nevertheless the incoming First Lady, Rosangela da Silva, 'Janja“ is avoiding the controversy and is organizing a symbolic out of protocol ceremony for next January First, and which does not include Bolsonaro. The idea is for common representatives from the people, with no official elected or non elected posts, to deliver the presidential sash to Lula at the main hall of the Planalto Palace.

Janja has already given details of the Festival for the Future she has planned for January First with the participation of at least twenty artists, singers, dancers such as Pablo Vittar, Martinho de Vila, Teresa Cristina, Fernanda Takai e Odair Jose. Janja last week revealed she was programming a ”great popular party” for the day Lula returns to the presidential palace, so that the people can celebrate.