The annulled election for the presidency of Rio de Janeiro served as a test of strength for the base of the deputy (), pre-candidate for the state government, and the opposition.
The PL praises the fact that it obtained around a third of the votes in favor of Douglas. The opposition, in turn, claims that this number can be seen as a ceiling for the deputy in Alerj, with the potential for betrayal in the event of an indirect election with a secret vote to choose the buffer governor and for the presidency of the Assembly itself.
The test served to measure the strength of the two poles for the next dispute for the presidency of Alerj and a possible indirect election to define the buffer governor, until 2026. The next steps in Rio politics, however, depend on the decision of the (Federal Supreme Court) on how the choice of the new head of the Rio Executive will be conducted.
Four ministers defended the direct election, while the others only discussed the rules of the election conducted by Alerj. The extraordinary virtual session at the Supreme Court was interrupted by order of Minister Cristiano Zanin, who also suspended the procedures for the indirect election.
Douglas, former secretary of management (PL), was elected with the vote of 45 of the 69 deputies able to vote for the replacement of Rodrigo Bacellar (União), former president of Alerj who was revoked by the (Superior Electoral Court). Among those who endorsed the PL’s name are members of the alliance that former Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD) has been building for the October election.
The PL deputy celebrated the vote, despite the revocation of his result in court. “Today was a great demonstration of strength from our political field, which managed to bring together 47 deputies around our candidacy.”
Among those who voted for Douglas is congresswoman Lucinha (PSD), a supporter of Paes, and Rafael Picciani (MDB), whose party nominated the pre-candidate for vice-president on the former mayor’s ticket.
The vote for the presidency of Alerj should take place days after the totalization of votes, scheduled for next Tuesday (31) at the TRE (Regional Electoral Court). Bacellar was elected by the PL and received around 97 thousand votes. The annulment of your election may impact the calculation of the electoral quotient and the distribution of seats between the parties.
One of the opposition’s expectations is precisely this reconfiguration of the House, although there is no hope of drastic changes.
The opposition also believes that many deputies came under strong pressure from mayors, who received threats of a cut in funds in the event of a lack of quorum in favor of the PL deputy. According to this reading, the fact that the vote was open favored the strategy of Douglas’ group.
In this scenario, the PSD intends to request a secret vote in the Supreme Court also for the presidency of Alerj, using the same arguments presented by minister Luiz Fux, accompanied by all ministers, in the case of the buffer mandate. The judge stated that it was necessary to avoid the influence of organized crime on the deputies’ decisions.
There is still no consensus name for the opposition position, but one of the options is deputy Chico Machado (Solidarity).
Another point that raises hope in the opposition is the fact that the STF formed a large majority in favor of the reduced deadline for disqualification of one day after the double vacancy of the positions of governor and vice-president.
The decision made possible the candidacy of former president of Alerj André Ceciliano (PT), who must have the support of Paes and the left in the dispute for the buffer mandate through the indirect election. The former deputy has a good relationship with members of the center and even the right, who could have an easier time supporting a PT member with a secret vote.
In the current scenario, however, it is difficult to make projections beyond the next few days, say state politicians.
There is the possibility of the STF determining a direct election, with the state government temporarily under the command of judge Ricardo Couto, president of the Court of Justice, until the popular election. In this case, Paes has already declared himself a candidate.
Rio de Janeiro has been experiencing an institutional crisis since Castro’s resignation on the eve of the TSE trial in which he could be impeached. The measure aimed to avoid the holding of a direct election, which could be determined by if he remained in office.
