The Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) that extinguishes reelection to executive positions and unifies electoral cycles suffered a setback in the Senate after the last minute inclusion of a controversial amendment: the reduction of senators’ mandate from ten to five years. The investigation is from Folha de S. Paulo.
The change, articulated by opposition senators during the vote on the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ), generated discomfort among parliamentarians and should postpone the analysis of the PEC in the plenary.
A in the midst of a broad agreement, but the amendment presented by Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ) and Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), during a reduced quorum session, destabilized the political articulation. The original text, reported by Marcelo Castro (MDB-PI), predicted ten years of office for senators-currently are eight.
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Tension between leaders
The weather warmed at the last leadership meeting on Thursday (22), when Senator Eduardo Braga (MDB-AM) harshly criticized the way the amendment was included. According to reports, Braga stated that colleagues “attacked” senators by proposing the reduction of mandate without any prior debate. Portinho replied that there was no “prank” and defended the legitimacy of the proposal. Girão, in turn, stated that the Senate “only reasons” for other reasons.
The dispute exposed disagreements about the ideal model of mandate for senators. The opposition argues that shorter mandates favor the alternation of power, while base allies see the measure as electrical and politically exhausting. The assessment is that the debate puts parliamentarians in the position of defending a privilege before public opinion, even with the current term of office already eight years.
Greater mandate can come back
Given the crisis, Senate President David Alcolumbre (Brazil-AP Union) retreated from the idea of guiding the proposal immediately and should await the cooling of the internal dispute. Behind the scenes, it is expected that the ten -year term, as suggested in Castro’s initial opinion, to be reinserted in the text during the vote in plenary – possibly at the initiative of the alcohumbre itself.
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PEC will need to be approved in two shifts by at least 49 of the 81 senators. If it advances, it will continue to be processed in the House of Representatives, where it will also be submitted to the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ), to a special commission and, finally, to the Plenary, requiring the minimum support of 308 of the 513 deputies.
Transition provides unification
In addition to the end of reelection, PEC proposes the unification of municipal and general electoral cycles – which, in practice, would eliminate the biennial elections. For this, the text provides for a transitional period by 2039, with variable durations (four, five, six, eight and nine years old) mandates, according to the position and calendar of each election. The final proposal foresees uniform mandates of five years for all elective positions.
The reelection for executive positions was instituted by constitutional amendment in 1997 and directly benefited the then President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB), reelected the year following the approval of the measure. Now, with the new arrangement under discussion, Congress rehearses a wide change in the political-electoral system-once again waged by internal disputes.
