The referendum proposal will go to the plenary session in 90 days.
The Speaker of the House announces that a meeting of leaders concluded that it is impossible to implement a political reform valid for the 2014 elections; the plebiscite is dead and buried; the Workers' Party will insist on a pro forma approach; a group of deputies will be formed to deliver a referendum proposal to the plenary within 90 days; a promise that names will be chosen by the parties by the end of the day; a new stage.
247 - The Speaker of the House, Henrique Eduardo Alves, stated today that the majority of party leaders have ruled out the possibility of approving a political reform valid for the 2014 elections. According to him, there is not enough time to vote on the new rules, since any change to the electoral system must be approved up to one year before the election - that is, by October of this year.
The announcement was made earlier this afternoon, following a meeting of leaders in the Chamber of Deputies. After the meeting, Alves also stated that most parties support holding a referendum on a political reform bill approved by Congress, instead of the plebiscite proposed by the government. To that end, he will create a working group today to draft the proposal, which should go to the plenary session within 90 days.
The members of the group will be announced by the Speaker of the House by the end of the day. According to Alves, the 90-day deadline for holding public hearings and voting on the proposal is non-extendable. "The Brazilian people want the modernization of political and electoral relations. This House should have already voted on these changes, and now it will have to fulfill this responsibility," he said.
Deadlines
According to Alves, a plebiscite valid for 2014 is unfeasible due to the 70-day deadline stipulated by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) for the population to become informed about the questions in the public consultation. The questions must also be approved through a draft legislative decree.
The leader of the PT (Workers' Party), José Guimarães, admitted that the deadline makes changing the electoral rules next year unfeasible, but stated that deputies from the PT, PDT (Democratic Labour Party), and PCdoB (Communist Party of Brazil) will try to guarantee the plebiscite this year. 171 signatures are needed to present the proposal. The three parties currently have 128 representatives in the Chamber of Deputies. "But there are other deputies, from the PV (Green Party), for example, who share the same position," Guimarães assured.
Additional
The opposition criticizes the idea of holding a plebiscite this year and advocates for the public consultation – plebiscite or referendum – to be held in conjunction with the 2014 elections. "Public money cannot be used to its advantage, especially when the public is clamoring for health, education, and transportation," warned the leader of the DEM party, Ronaldo Caiado (GO). According to calculations by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), the logistical cost of the consultation could reach R$ 500 million if it is not held concurrently with the elections.
Despite the criticism, Guimarães defended the plebiscite again in 2013: "Democracy has a cost. There's nothing better than spending money to listen to the people in the first instance. Congress is wrong not to want this matter now," he said.
Below is a previous news item from 247:
247 - Sixteen days after being presented by President Dilma Rousseff in an emergency meeting with governors and mayors, the proposal for a popular plebiscite on political reform issues this year was buried on Tuesday by the leaders of the Chamber of Deputies. The majority of parliamentarians decided, after a meeting with the Speaker of the House, Henrique Eduardo Alves (PMDB-RN), that holding the plebiscite with rules valid as early as 2014 would be unfeasible. Only the PT (Workers' Party) insists on the idea of implementing the popular consultation in 2013.
"It made it unfeasible," said Alves, upon entering the meeting with the leaders. "The PMDB wants the plebiscite to coincide with the 2014 election, to reduce costs. The PMDB will not accept any other alternative," said the party leader, Eduardo Cunha (RJ), after the meeting. The proposal may, however, gain a new lease on life through the formation of a commission to analyze the matter. The formation of a commission, so as not to take the matter directly to a plenary vote, could be adopted by the College of Leaders.
Below is a report by Carolina Pompeu, from Agência Câmara, regarding this matter:
Members of Parliament rule out political reform valid for 2014.
Members of parliament from the PT, PDT, and PCdoB parties, however, will still try to ensure that the plebiscite on political reform takes place this year. Even if the public consultation occurs, the leader of the PT, Deputy José Guimarães (CE), has already admitted that the plebiscite will likely not be valid for the 2014 elections.
The Speaker of the House, Henrique Eduardo Alves, stated today that the majority of party leaders have ruled out the possibility of approving a political reform valid for the 2014 elections. According to him, there is not enough time to vote on the new rules, since any change to the electoral system must be approved up to one year before the election – that is, by October of this year.
The announcement was made earlier this afternoon, following a meeting of leaders in the Chamber of Deputies. After the meeting, Alves also stated that most parties support holding a referendum on a political reform bill approved by Congress, instead of the plebiscite proposed by the government. To that end, he will create a working group today to draft the proposal, which should go to the plenary session within 90 days.
The members of the group will be announced by the Speaker of the House by the end of the day. According to Alves, the 90-day deadline for holding public hearings and voting on the proposal is non-extendable. "The Brazilian people want the modernization of political and electoral relations. This House should have already voted on these changes, and now it will have to fulfill this responsibility," he said.
Deadlines
According to Alves, a plebiscite valid for 2014 is unfeasible due to the 70-day deadline stipulated by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) for the population to become informed about the questions in the public consultation. The questions must also be approved through a draft legislative decree.
The leader of the PT (Workers' Party), José Guimarães, admitted that the deadline makes changing the electoral rules next year unfeasible, but stated that deputies from the PT, PDT (Democratic Labour Party), and PCdoB (Communist Party of Brazil) will try to guarantee the plebiscite this year. 171 signatures are needed to present the proposal. The three parties currently have 128 representatives in the Chamber of Deputies. "But there are other deputies, from the PV (Green Party), for example, who share the same position," Guimarães assured.
Additional
The opposition criticizes the idea of holding a plebiscite this year and advocates for the public consultation – plebiscite or referendum – to be held in conjunction with the 2014 elections. "Public money cannot be used to its advantage, especially when the public is clamoring for health, education, and transportation," warned the leader of the DEM party, Ronaldo Caiado (GO). According to calculations by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), the logistical cost of the consultation could reach R$ 500 million if it is not held concurrently with the elections.
Despite the criticism, Guimarães defended the plebiscite again in 2013: "Democracy has a cost. There's nothing better than spending money to listen to the people in the first instance. Congress is wrong not to want this matter now," he said.