Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff to be sworn in for second term

Brasilia, Jan 1: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will be sworn in for a second four-year term Thursday in the capital city of Brasilia.

Rousseff is set to ride in an open-top vehicle from Brasilia's Cathedral to the National Congress at 2:45 p.m. local time (1745 GMT), escorted by a motorcade of both motorcycle police and mounted police, Xinhua reported.

She is expected to reach the Congress building at 3 p.m. (1800 GMT), where she will take the oath of office and deliver a speech.

Afterwards, she will be greeted with a 21-gun salute, before heading to the presidential Palace of Planalto to address the nation and receive the oaths of office from 39 members of her cabinet.

The ceremony will conclude with a reception at the Itamaraty Palace, headquarters of Brazil's Foreign Relations ministry.

During the ceremony, 4,000 policemen will be deployed in case of protests, and police barricades will be set up along the president's route and at Planalto.

Delegations from 70 countries and major international organisations are expected to attend the ceremony, including Chinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao and the US Vice President Joe Biden.

The Brazilian government expects 10,000 people to gather for Rousseff's inauguration, while the ruling Workers' Party (PT) estimates as many as 30,000 people may converge to the capital from different parts of the country.

IANS