Weekly Report - 9 September 2003

Dissident legislators of the ruling Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) are threatening to break away and form a `truly socialist' party. The group includes three deputies (João Batista de Araújo, João Flores and Luciana Genro) and a senator, Heloí­sa Helena. They have all been formally reprimanded by the party for their vocal opposition to government policy, and have been threatened with expulsion for having voted against the government's pensions reform.