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“We are going through a process of change, maybe the largest one the country has ever experienced,” Rousseff affirmed [AP Images]
Rousseff announced that she would propose a referendum to elect a Constituent Assembly, only to approve a political reform to deal with the social unrest in the country, following a meeting with state governors and city mayors from around the country.
“The people in the streets are demanding changes,” said Rousseff.
The meeting was also designed to outline immediate joint actions to improve public services, such as transportation, healthcare and education, as Rousseff tries to find ways to resolve the demands expressed by the recent mass protests.
Rousseff proposed several basic measures in response to the protesters’ demands, including strengthening the Public Healthcare System, improving public transportation, and earmarking 100 per cent of oil revenues towards education, as well as political reform through a Constituent Assembly.
“The streets are telling us that the country wants quality public services, more effective measures to combat corruption … and responsive political representation,” Rousseff said.
She added that political reforms should include harsher punishment for corruption, possibly even considering such crimes as a serious felony.
“We are going through a process of change, maybe the largest one the country has ever experienced,” Rousseff affirmed.
The protests were originally sparked two weeks ago by a hike in bus and subway fares in Brazil’s largest city Sao Paulo, but quickly spread to other cities.
On Monday, Rousseff also met with representatives of the Free Pass Movement, which launched the first demonstrations in Sao Paulo for affordable public transportation and promised to spend additional 50 billion reais ($25 billion) on improvement of public transport in the country.
Source: Agencies
