The government is working to control the INSS Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry and wants Omar Aziz as its president.

247 - With the Joint Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPMI) on the INSS officially created, the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is intensifying its political maneuvering behind the scenes to ensure control of the commission and prevent the opposition from dictating the course of the investigation into fraud in the social security system. This information comes from... CNN Brazil.

Senator Omar Aziz (PSD-AM) is emerging as virtually certain to preside over the committee, consolidating the Planalto Palace's strategy of occupying the main positions within the body. The focus now shifts to the rapporteurship—a responsibility of the Chamber of Deputies—which could be given to the PL, the party of former president Jair Bolsonaro and currently the main opposition force to the government.

The Planalto Palace fears that, if the rapporteur is a parliamentarian aligned with Bolsonaro, the Joint Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPMI) will turn into a political platform against Lula. The most likely names in the Liberal Party (PL) to assume this role are deputies Coronel Crisóstomo (RO) and Coronel Fernanda (MT), both key players in collecting signatures to enable the commission's establishment.

To contain the advance of the opposition, the government is working with centrist parties on a solution that avoids Bolsonaro's prominence in the rapporteurship. At the same time, it is trying to present the narrative that the frauds in the INSS (National Institute of Social Security) occurred mostly during the previous government and that the current administration only identified them and began to combat them.

The government leader in Congress, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (PT-AP), argues that the Joint Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPMI) should be conducted with balance, without favoring either the Presidential Palace or the opposition. "It would be appropriate for the investigation not to be led by someone from the President's party or the main opposition party," he stated. Randolfe is counting on the Speaker of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), as a key figure in ensuring an impartial selection of the rapporteur.

Despite the conciliatory rhetoric, the Presidential Palace continues to act to consolidate its base within the commission. The intention is to minimize political fallout and prevent the government from becoming hostage to an investigation conducted by its adversaries.

Behind the scenes, government parliamentarians are also betting on a division of responsibilities so that the investigations can move forward without fueling a climate of political warfare. The defense of a "balanced" composition among the members of the commission reflects the fear that, if dominated by the opposition, the INSS Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry could be used as an instrument of institutional and electoral damage against Lula and his allies.