On Tuesday, Alcolumbre canceled the nominee’s hearing schedule and criticized the government
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said, this Wednesday (3), that he does not know “the reason for the controversy” involving the appointment of the Minister of the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), Jorge Messias, for the position of minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF). This Tuesday (2), the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, canceled the calendar for the Messiah hearing.
“Honestly, I don’t understand the reason for the controversy, it’s not the prime minister I’m nominating, I’ve already nominated eight ministers. I simply choose a person, send it to the Senate, and the Senate then makes a judgment to find out whether the person is qualified or not,” said Lula in an interview with TV Verdes Mares, in Fortaleza (CE).
In a statement, Alcolumbre justified the cancellation by stating that the federal government did not forward the formal written message regarding the nomination to the Senate. The act has already been published in the Official Gazette of the Union.
“This omission, the exclusive responsibility of the Executive Branch, is serious and unprecedented. It is an interference in the hearing schedule, a prerogative of the Legislative Branch”, stated the senator.
The president of the Senate canceled the calendar set with the president of the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ), Otto Alencar (PSD-BA), which predicted the reading of the opinion on December 3rd and the hearing on December 10th. There is still no new date for the analysis.
Indication
Messias’ nomination has faced resistance from senators, but, for Lula, the minister has proven qualifications to take on the position at the STF.
“I don’t know why it was turned into such a major political problem, I hope it is resolved. I am very calm about it, I fulfilled my role, I sent a name that I understand has the professional qualifications to be a Supreme Court minister”, he stated.
On November 20th, Lula appointed Jorge Messias to fill the vacancy left with the retirement of minister Luís Roberto Barroso.
Messias is 45 years old and will be able to remain in the Supreme Court for the next 30 years, when he will turn 75, which is the age for compulsory retirement.
To take office, the current attorney general of the Union must undergo a hearing at the Senate’s CCJ and have his name approved in a vote in the collegiate body and in the plenary of the House, with the approval of 41 senators.
Who is Messiah
Jorge Messias has been in charge of AGU since January 1, 2023, the beginning of Lula’s third term.
Born in Recife, the future minister has been a public prosecutor at the National Treasury since 2007. He has a degree in law from the Faculty of Law of Recife (UFPE) and has a master’s and doctorate from the University of Brasília (UnB).
During President Dilma Rousseff’s government, Messias was deputy head of Legal Affairs for the Presidency of the Republic. The sector is responsible for directly advising the president.
*Brazil Agency
