Brazilian President calls for justice in corruption scandal
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday the people would exonerate him from any wrongdoing in the bribery scandal that currently shakes the government, and asserted his confidence in re-election if he ran for president in 2006.

"I expect when the Parliamentary investigative Commission (CPI) ends its work, those guilty will be handed over to the Attorney General's Office to be indicted," said the president in his hometown of Guaranhuns in Pernambuco State.

"But I also demand that, to those who did not commit any offense and whose names are currently on the front pages of newspapers, when they are acquitted, at least the Brazilian press apologizes for having made false accusations," said Lula.

Lula's popularity has weakened since lower house lawmaker Roberto Jefferson accused the ruling Workers' Party (PT) of bribing lawmakers to back government bills. The scandal has ruined the PT's anti-corruption image and cost the jobs of four PT leaders and Lula's former Cabinet chief, Jose Dirceu.

Lula has yet to be implicated in the scandal and denies any knowledge of wrongdoing.