Brazilian president says economic stability to be maintained

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that his government will maintain its economic policy during the election year.

"We will not play with the economic stability," the president said, "It has to be maintained. The fiscal situation must be treated with seriousness and the inflation rate must be controlled."

Lula was confident that the programs implemented by his administration will be continued by his successor's government.

He said that on March 29, he will launch the second phase of the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) in order to ensure that his successor has projects ready for implementation and will not waste a year only making studies.

The president refuted the opposition's accusations that he is using the public administration to campaign for his party's presidential candidate, Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff.

Rousseff has been rising in election polls, and is now five percentage points behind opposition candidate Jose Serra, governor of Sao Paulo state.

Brazil is to hold general elections in October.