For Brazilian President-Elect’s Main Ally Party It’s Payback Time

Representative Henrique Eduardo Alves The PMDB (Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement), Brazil’s ruling Workers Party main ally in Congress, has formed its own legislative group hoping to dispute some of the most strategic posts in the new congress that takes office next January first. 

The decision was criticized by president-elect Dilma Rousseff transition team, fearing it could anticipate a fracture in the ruling coalition.

PMDB in alliance with other conservative parties now counts with 202 members in the Lower House (513) and is determined to dispute the House speaker’s post from the Workers Party and press for a greater share in the future ministerial cabinet of Ms Rousseff.

“We helped with Dilma’s victory” and this must be compensated with government posts said the head of the PMDB block in the Lower House Henrique Eduardo Alves.

The presidential ticket Dilma Rousseff with PMDB Michel Temer as Vice-president comfortably swept through the October 31 ballot and later established a transition team for the distribution of ministries in the cabinet.

PMDB’s initiative was not well received by the Workers Party chairman José Eduardo Dutra.

“Who commands is President Dilma” and who will decide the distribution of posts will be her “and not congressional blocks”, said Dutra according to quotes in the São Paulo press.

The Workers Party Lower House speaker Cândido Vacarezza anticipated that his grouping “would not accept hostile attitudes from PMDB allies.”

PMDB has been a decisive political force for all governments since the return of democracy to Brazil in 1985.

President Lula’s congressional agenda was repeatedly stalled, particularly during his first mandate (2003/2007), and had to appeal to “non-orthodox” means to have bills approved. The non-orthodox system (outright monthly handouts ‘mensalões’ to Congress members) eventually blew up and brought down several of the Brazilian president’s closest advisors.

However Lula later reached a coalition agreement in Congress with the PMDB which facilitated his legislative agenda.

Furthermore for the first time the PMDB agreed not have its own presidential candidate but rather take the Vice president slate with Dilma Rousseff, which proved to be successful at the ballot box, in spite of the fact that the president-elect had never run for office before.

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Merrill Lynch Raises Price on Brazil’s Embraer Stock

Latin American stocks climbed higher, even with Brazil’s market still closed for the Carnaval ...

Bullish Brazil Gets Record High Stocks and Lowest Dollar in 9 Years

The Brazilian stock exchange (Bovespa), this Friday, May 2, in its first trading session ...

Lula Washes Hands on Cuban Dissident’s Death and Is Called Accomplice of Torture

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva denied on Wednesday, in Havana, that he ...

Market Diversification Boosts Brazilian Exports

Exports shipped to countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Poland, and Algeria, with which ...

Lula’s Party Wins in Six State Capitals

The mayors of 11 state capitals were elected yesterday in the first round of ...

Brazil Has 30 Years of Natural Gas Reserves

Brazil’s proven reserves of natural gas are 316 billion cubic meters, but it is ...

Top Client US Buys 23% Fewer Shoes from Brazil in 2008

Brazilian shoe exports in 2008 decreased 1.6% compared with the previous year. Revenues from ...

Brazilian Congress Creates Committee to Deal with Indian Issues

During a joint session held last week, Brazil’s National Congress approved the creation of ...

Brazil’s Industry and Labor Unions Pull Together to Fight Chinese Imports

Fiesp, São Paulo state’s Industrial Federation and labor unions have joined forces to create ...

Chavez, Well Sung Hero of Brazil’s Left

The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, took some time off from the 18th Rio ...