The PSD bench decided this Tuesday (16) to support the candidacy of deputy Hugo Leal (PSD-RJ) for the vacancy that will open at the (Court of Auditors of the Union) in February 2026 with the retirement of minister Aroldo Cedraz.
With the choice, the acronym disrupts the agreement made between the president of the Chamber, (-PB), and his predecessor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), to elect a PT deputy for the position. The favorite is Odair Cunha (MG), former leader of PT and .
Leal is the first candidate formally launched against Cunha’s candidacy. União Brasil is also discussing supporting a deputy from the party, but is divided between Danilo Forte (CE) – who is pressuring the bench to hold a meeting as soon as possible to decide – and Elmar Nascimento (BA).
The PT members made an agreement with Motta and Lira so that they would help elect a party candidate. In return, they supported the candidacy of the current president of the Chamber – who is currently experiencing friction with the bench and the Lula (PT) government. The Alagoan at the time of the election.
The position of TCU minister is coveted due to its role in deciding on government contracts and tenders, in addition to monitoring government spending. The position also guarantees a lifetime salary for the chosen candidate.
The PT and hold the election in 2025, to prevent the issue from being contaminated by the electoral debate, when the majority of deputies tend to run against the government (PT). The choice, however, will be left for next year.
Motta decided that this week’s sessions, the last before the recess, will be with voting and attendance registration via cell phone, without the need for deputies to be in Brasília. The election for the TCU, however, can only take place in face-to-face sessions, with secret voting recorded in booths installed in the plenary. The one with the most votes in a single round wins.
PT members and leaders from the center say that, for now, the agreement is maintained. Parliamentarians interviewed by the report, however, state that the deputies’ great dissatisfaction with the PT and the Palácio do Planalto.
A group of PT members and deputies from the center meets periodically to discuss political issues, including the nomination for the TCU. Today, according to members of this group, there is enough support to elect the PT member, with around 270 votes.
Opponents, however, claim that the climate of anti-PTism in the plenary is stronger and that the agreement with party leaders will not be enough to guarantee the votes. The majority of deputies are center-right and right-wing, which would favor the other candidates, in their opinion.
The defeat of the PT candidate could further strain the PT’s relationship with Motta, which is already contested. Last week, the leader of the party in the Chamber, Lindbergh Farias (RJ), stated that the president of the House “is losing the conditions to continue” in office, because of the vote on the project that seeks to reduce the prison time of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and others convicted of the coup plot.
Motta, after criticism about the conduct of the anti-faction PL sent by President Lula. Despite the friction, PT members demand that the agreement on the TCU be maintained.
