On Facebook, the explanation for Campos' "new"
Internet users are trying to explain, via social media, the fact that the governor of Pernambuco, Eduardo Campos, presents himself as a novelty in the political arena; there, extracted from the dictionary, the meaning of "new" appears as "adj. That which has existed for a short time; newly made. Young, of little age. That which is said, discussed, seen for the first time. Sm That which is recent: the old and the new confront each other"; the connection with the PT government, which has been in charge of the Federal Government for eleven years and has been the target of criticism from the PSB member, is immediate; despite being characterized as a free territory, the internet is also subject to electoral legislation, warns the Public Prosecutor's Office.
PE247 - The governor of Pernambuco and potential presidential candidate for the PSB party in 2014, Eduardo Campos, gained support from internet users via social media to explain his position as a newcomer in the political arena. In a Facebook post, right below a photo of the governor, the meaning of "new" is explained based on the dictionary: "adj. That which has existed for a short time; newly made. Young, of little age. That which is said, discussed, seen for the first time. Sm That which is recent: the old and the new confront each other." Recently, Campos even declared that "the new is not born without pain" and that "it is necessary to break with old practices." And the connection with the PT government, which has been in charge of the Federal Government for eleven years and has been the target of severe criticism from the PSB member, is immediate.
The page, created by the self-proclaimed "Improve the Country" movement, which defines itself as a "Movement in favor of Brazil, in support of Eduardo Campos. Maintained by ordinary citizens concerned about the country's growth post-Lula. Multipartisan, without distinction of gender, ethnicity, creed or party preference," features a series of quotes from the PSB politician, as well as press articles concerning the governor. The page also encourages internet users to declare their support for the governor's national project.
According to the Regional Electoral Court of Pernambuco (TRE-PE), the use of social media to promote candidates is already covered by electoral law. According to Law 9.504, amended in the last electoral reform of 2009 and consolidated in the last municipal elections, electoral campaigning is only permitted within the legal timeframe, that is, three months before the elections. This also applies to social media. If it is determined that a website or social media page is engaging in campaigning, the courts can impose penalties that include fines and even removal from the internet.
According to the Regional Electoral Prosecutor, Antônio Edílio Magalhães Teixeira, the matter is complex. “There is the factor of freedom of expression. There isn't a ready-made package saying what is and isn't propaganda. It's not prohibited to campaign early, what is prohibited is to engage in premature propaganda. Social media fosters the debate of ideas, and when that happens, it's permitted. Therefore, each case must be analyzed carefully and in an extremely thorough manner,” observes Edílio.