Allies create a support movement that could hinder progress.
In defending the president's actions, senators kept the issue of corruption at the forefront of the day's discussions.
Evam Sena_247, from Brasília – With anti-corruption rhetoric, senators from parties within the government's base, but considered independent, began a movement on Monday, the 15th, to support the "clean-up" carried out by President Dilma Rousseff in ministries targeted by corruption allegations. However, the initiative may do more harm than good. Besides dominating such a sensitive issue for the government during Monday's session, the movement further exposes the divisions within Dilma's base.
No senator from the PR party or the PMDB leadership spoke in support of the dismissals ordered by the president. After the departure of Senator Alfredo Nascimento (PR-AM) from the Ministry of Transport due to corruption allegations, the PR party is threatening to leave the coalition. The PMDB is irritated by the Federal Police's Operation Voucher, which arrested 35 people linked to an alleged fraud scheme in the Ministry of Tourism, headed by PMDB member Pedro Novais (MA).
Many of the senators who make up the movement, Pedro Simon (PMDB-RS), Ana Amélia (PP-RS), Ricardo Ferraço (PMDB-ES) and Pedro Taques (PDT-MT), signed a request to create the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) on Transportation at the end of July. With the support of other senators from the base, the opposition obtained the 27 necessary signatures, but saw its strategy thwarted after the government intervened to withdraw its support.
Despite supportive speeches from Jorge Viana (PT-AC), Rodrigo Rollemberg (PSB-DF), and Marcelo Crivella (PRB-RJ), the initiative was ignored by the leaders of the governing blocs. "I will thank them, but I will not speak, because I do not agree with the request for a CPI," said the government leader in the Senate, Romero Jucá (PMDB-RR). The leader of the PT, Humberto Costa (PE), amidst the speeches, spoke about the global economic crisis.
“Within the context that Your Excellency (Costa) is talking about, (it’s) like adding a comma,” Simon provoked. “Unfortunately, (from) my party’s leadership, no one showed up,” he added.
In his speech, Simon criticized the attitude of parliamentarians who refuse to vote on bills in retaliation for Dilma's responses to the accusations against her government. According to the senator, the initiative is an attempt to salvage the image of Congress, which is increasingly tarnished by political patronage.
Ana Amélia emphasized, however, that the initiative does not represent an "automatic alignment" with Dilma's actions. "It is, specifically, political support so that she does not become hostage to other forces that do not want what we are aiming for here: morality, management, quality, and professionalization of the public service," said the senator.
Senator Mozarildo Cavalcanti (PTB-RR), whose party is targeted in the purge at Conab (National Supply Company), sent a message of "calm" to the president regarding votes of interest to the government. "We support President Dilma in the actions she has been taking and we support her so that, at least here in the Senate, she is not the victim of any movement aimed at creating any kind of difficulty for her," he said.
Dilma even received support from Senator Jarbas Vasconcelos (PMDB-PE), who acts as opposition. "(The president) has demonstrated, clearly and unequivocally, that she wants to combat corruption. This is a cursed legacy from which she is trying to free herself. She will only get rid of it if she has a uniform behavior, the support of the opposition, even to confront the opportunists, and the support of society," he said.