Barbosa doubts that the Chamber will challenge the Supreme Court: "Speculation"
The president of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Joaquim Barbosa, says he doesn't believe the Chamber of Deputies could disregard a Supreme Court decision: "I don't believe that will happen." He downplayed the Chamber's discourse: "This doesn't worry me in the slightest." A majority of the leadership elected this Monday, including the president, Henrique Eduardo Alves, maintains that the prerogative to revoke mandates belongs to the Legislative branch, contrary to what Barbosa asserts.
247 – The majority of the new leadership of the Chamber of Deputies, elected this Monday, has already made it clear that it defends the prerogative of revoking parliamentary mandates belonging to the Legislative branch. Upon taking office, the new president of the House, Deputy Henrique Eduardo Alves (PMDB-RN), reaffirmed his opinion: "That's the logic of the Chamber, isn't it? It will be finalized here," he said, referring to the trial of Criminal Action 470, in which four parliamentarians were convicted by the Supreme Court and may lose their mandates.
On Tuesday, however, the president of the court showed no concern about the deputies' speech. "It doesn't worry me in the slightest," he downplayed, according to a report by FSPBarbosa, who was the rapporteur for the case known as "mensalão," also said he doesn't really believe the Chamber could disobey an order from the Supreme Court. "That's just speculation. I don't believe that will happen."
Congressman Marco Maia (PT-RS), who left his position as Speaker of the House this Monday, he even said Last year, if the court decided that the final word on the matter would rest with the Judiciary, the House would not comply with the order. Even before being elected, Alves I had already said the same thing."No [I will not relinquish the power to decide]. Nor will the Judiciary want that to happen. When a branch of government weakens or diminishes, it is not good for democracy," he said in an interview with Folha a month ago.
The PMDB member denied, however, that he is confronting the Judiciary, but only following what the Federal Constitution dictates. In his farewell speech as president of the Chamber of Deputies, Maia mentioned that certain "interpretations" by the Judiciary can be seen as "worrying attitude"Barbosa responded to the provocation during the opening ceremony of the National Congress on Monday afternoon: 'In Brazil, any matter of a constitutional nature, once brought to court, the final word rests with the Supreme Federal Court; I have nothing more to say.'"
In the trial of AP 470, four deputies were harmed and risk losing their mandates: José Genoino (PT-SP) – who was an alternate and assumed the mandate at the beginning of this year – João Paulo Cunha (PT-SP), Valdemar Costa Neto (PR-SP) and Pedro Henry (PP-PR).