Voters will go to the polls this Sunday (21) to choose who will occupy the seats of governor and vice-president until January 2027.
With just over three months left until the general elections, the supplementary election takes place by determination of the (Superior Electoral Court), which at the end of April Edilson Damião (União Brasil) and made the former Antonio Denarium (PP) ineligible.
Elected vice-governor in 2022, Damião occupied the main Executive seat at the time of the TSE’s decision to replace Denarium, who had resigned as governor the previous month with the intention of running for the Senate. The duo was convicted by the Electoral Court for abuse of political and economic power in the 2022 election.
Today Denarium supports the candidacy of (PL), former mayor of Boa Vista, for the buffer mandate in the Government of Roraima. Two other names are competing in the supplementary election: the current governor, Soldado Sampaio (Republicans), who was president of the Legislative Assembly and temporarily took over the Executive after Damião’s impeachment, and the sociologist (PT).
Arthur Henrique’s candidacy, however, is involved in an imbroglio that is not expected to end on Sunday.
Although he was vetoed from the race by the Electoral Court, following a decision from the (Supreme Federal Court), the former mayor obtained a decision from the TSE this Thursday (18) that indicates that his name will be on the ballot as a sub judice candidate, that is, when there are still pending legal issues that will need to be resolved. The decision that gave breath to Arthur Henrique was signed by TSE minister Antonio Carlos Ferreira.
The veto to Arthur Henrique was a consequence of a lawsuit, at the end of May, which challenged the non-compliance deadlines for candidates established by the TRE (Regional Electoral Court) of Roraima for the supplementary election.
Accepting an argument from the Republican party, Dino understood that the deadlines for candidates’ disqualification should be three to six months before the election date, depending on the position held, obeying the general rule applied in a common election.
Roraima’s TRE had established a different rule: as it was a supplementary election, potential candidates could withdraw from their positions up to 24 hours after the party conventions took place.
Dino’s injunction, confirmed by the First Panel of the Supreme Court this Friday (19), by a majority vote, created friction with the president of the TSE, minister Kassio Nunes Marques, who understands that the jurisprudence of the electoral court indicated more flexible deadlines.
With the STF’s decision, the TRE changed the rule and vetoed two candidates, Arthur Henrique and a PT member.
Arthur Henrique resigned as mayor of Boa Vista on April 2 and, therefore, did not meet the deadline for non-compliance defined by the STF. He appeals against the decision.
The same happened with the first candidate presented by the PT, Antonia Pedrosa, who did not leave her position as a teacher (public servant) within the deadline required by the STF.
But, unlike the PL, the PT chose to replace Antonia Pedrosa’s name. In her place, candidate Nelita Frank took over.
At the polls on Sunday, however, voters will still see Pedrosa’s name and photo. The Electoral Court argues that there was no time to replace the candidates at the polls and that, despite this, the votes will be recorded for Nelita Frank.
On Sunday, 385 thousand voters are eligible to vote. Voting takes place from 8 am to 5 pm. The result of the vote is expected to be announced between 9pm and 10pm, Brasília time.
The organization of elections in Roraima requires logistics that are considered difficult for the Electoral Court, as access to some locations is only possible via waterways or airstrips in poor condition. The rain, which is usually intense at this time of year, is also an obstacle.
Despite this, the Electoral Court reported that the distribution of electronic voting machines, which began on Tuesday (16), continues within the planned schedule.
Understand the supplementary election in Roraima
- March 27 – Governor of Roraima elected in 2022, Antonio Denarium (PP) resigns his mandate to run for the Senate and his vice, Edilson Damião (União Brasil), assumes the main seat of the Executive
- April 28 – Superior Electoral Court confirms decision of the Regional Electoral Court of Roraima and condemns Denarium and Damião for abuse of economic and political power in the 2022 campaign. Damião loses his mandate and Denarium becomes ineligible
- April 30 – Due to the TSE’s decision, the then president of the Legislative Assembly, state deputy Soldado Sampaio (Republicans), temporarily assumes the Government of Roraima until the conclusion of a supplementary election. Soldier Sampaio is one of the candidates for the buffer mandate
- May 3rd – TRE-RR publishes a resolution establishing rules for the supplementary election, scheduled for June 21st. One of the articles defines that, in cases of necessary non-compliance, candidates must leave office within 24 hours following the party convention.
- May 25th – TRE publishes an advertising plan on radio and television with the three names that qualified for the dispute: Antonia Pedrosa (PT), from the Roraima da Esperança coalition (PT, PCdoB, PV and Psol-Rede); Arthur Henrique (PL); and Soldado Sampaio (Republicans), from the Roraima Segue em Frente coalition (Republicans, PDT, MDB, Podemos, PSD and PSDB-Cidadania)
- May 27th – A preliminary decision by Minister Flávio Dino, of the Federal Supreme Court, overturns part of the TRE resolution and defines that the deadlines for disqualification must be the same as in a common election, that is, candidates must leave their positions three to six months before the date of the election (the variation in time depends on the position they hold and the position they intend to occupy)
- June 2nd – Based on the STF decision, the TRE rejects the registration of two candidacies, Arthur Henrique and Antonia Pedrosa. The first had resigned as mayor of Boa Vista on April 2, considering running in the general election in October. The second left her position as a teacher at the state school on May 16th. In other words, both did not meet the non-compliance deadline of 3 months before the election date (June 21st)
- June 3rd – The coalition led by the PT chooses to change the candidate to stay in the race. In place of Antonia Pedrosa, sociologist Nelita Frank (PT) enters. The PL chooses to appeal the decision and insist on the candidacy of Arthur Henrique, who now becomes a sub judice candidate
- June 19 – In a virtual session, the ministers of the First Panel of the STF confirm Dino’s injunction. There was only one dissenting vote, from Minister Cármen Lúcia. Ministers Alexandre de Moraes and Cristiano Zanin followed the rapporteur. The expectation of Arthur Henrique’s defense is to take the case to the court’s plenary
