UNE: Majority of the student movement is in favor of new elections.

by Eduardo Maretti, from Current Brazil Network 

São Paulo – The president of the National Union of Students (UNE), Carina Vitral, says that the organizations that make up the Popular Brazil Front (FBP) are debating the plebiscite proposal and possible new presidential election to reach a unified position. “We need to have a progressive consensus process. Debate a lot to reach a consensus,” she says. The topic was discussed by President Dilma Rousseff, at the meeting on Tuesday (14) at the Palácio da Alvorada, with ministers of her government, allied political parties, senators and various entities of the social and trade union movement. A new meeting with the same format is scheduled for Tuesday (21).

The position that FBP will present to Dilma at the next meeting will not necessarily be the consensual or definitive one, according to Carina. “We will return this debate to the organizations to arrive at a position. I can't say if there will be a defined position (on the 21st) or if we will continue debating.” What will be presented to Dilma “depends on Monday's meeting,” she explains, referring to the meeting scheduled by the front for the 20th.

According to Carina Vitral, the UNE (National Union of Students), in particular, is in the process of discussing the issue. "We are going to convene a meeting throughout Brazil to deliberate with the base and entities on a position. But there is an understanding among most of the student movement that they are sympathetic to this proposal (of a plebiscite and election)," she says.

The justification, according to the activist, is that democracy "is weakened" after the coup. In this context, "the struggle is not the defense of a party and a president, but of democracy, and it is right that we return to the people the right to decide on the direction of the country." But, for that to happen, says Carina, the condition is that Dilma regains her mandate.

This position differs from that expressed by other leaders of the Popular Brazil Front, such as former PSB president Roberto Amaral. “Dilma was elected for a four-year term. We have to preserve this term, regardless of her. We are defending not only President Dilma, we are defending the Federal Constitution,” Amaral told RBA on the 10th.

The proposal for elections based on a plebiscite is not easy to make politically and legally viable. For this to happen, the positions of president and vice-president need to become vacant before the two-year term ends (at the end of 2016), according to the Constitution. For this to occur, Dilma and Temer would have to resign or both be removed through impeachment. Or, alternatively, the Superior Electoral Court would have to annul the presidential and vice-presidential ticket.

Since these three possibilities are highly unlikely, the Constitution needs to be amended by a Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC), which requires approval by a qualified quorum of three-fifths in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

The plebiscite can be called by Congress and requires a simple majority to be approved, but it does not eliminate the need for a constitutional amendment (PEC) for the election to be held this year. "The plebiscite does not replace the PEC. There is no way to dispense with a PEC," says political analyst Antônio Augusto de Queiroz, from the Inter-Union Department of Parliamentary Advisory (Diap).