With a senator in its sights, the CPI ends the year without knowing whether the investigation will be closed on March 28, as initially planned, or extended for up to 120 days.
The decision, in the end, will be made by the president of Congress, Davi Alcolumbre (-AP). Members of the committee say they have had no signal from the senator so far, but people close to him see an extension as unlikely.
Before the operation by the Federal Police and the CGU (Comptroller General of the Union) that brought the suspects into question, members of the CPI said it was certain that the commission would end in March.
With the operation, the opposition increased pressure for the CPI to be extended for another four months — which would push the final report to July, just a few months before the elections.
Parliamentarians filed an extension request with more than 200 signatures, but Congressional technicians say there are doubts whether the request is valid automatically or depends on the president’s approval.
“The number of signatures has already been obtained. The question is whether [a ampliação] will be automatic”, says the rapporteur, Alfredo Gaspar (União Brasil-AP).
A member of the CPI believes that Alcolumbre can adopt the middle ground and extend the commission for just one more month, to avoid hassles.
Federal deputies and senators from the government base also did not reach a joint position on the issue. One of them admits that, in the rapporteur’s view, the sooner the commission ends, the better.
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