Chamber of Deputies elects new Board of Directors for biennium 2023/2024

In addition to re-electing the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), another 10 members of the Board of Directors were elected this Wednesday (1st) for the 2023/2024 biennium. The command of the House is distributed between the president, two vice presidents and four secretaries. In addition to them, four alternates are elected for the secretariats.

As traditionally the members of the Board of Directors are elected by agreement, there were no surprises. Federal deputy Marcos Pereira (Republicanos-SP), national president of the party, was the sole candidate for the first vice-presidency. He had held office in the first biennium of the last legislature and was elected by 456 votes.

The second vice-presidency was the only position where there was more than one candidacy. The official candidate of the parliamentary bloc that supported Lira was deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante (PL-RJ), who was elected by 385 votes. However, he disputed the position with deputy Luciano Vieira (PL-RJ), who ran with a separate candidacy and won 94 votes.

In addition to the presidency of the House, the first secretariat was the only post where there was reelection. Deputy Luciano Bivar (União Brasil-PE), national president of the party, retained his position for the two-year period with the support of 411 deputies.

By agreement between the parties, the second secretariat remained under the command of the PT, which is now headed by deputy Maria do Rosário (RS). She was elected with 371 votes. The third secretary will be occupied by Deputy Júlio Cesar (PSD-PI), who obtained 467 votes. The holder of the fourth secretariat will be deputy Lúcio Mosquini (MDB-RO), elected by 447 votes.

The substitutes will be exercised by deputies Gilberto Nascimento (PSC-SP), Pompeo de Mattos (PDT-RS), Beto Pereira (PSDB-MS) and André Ferreira (PL-PE), elected with 420 votes, 398 votes, 389 votes and 362 votes, respectively.

How the agreements were defined by the positions of the Board of Directors of the Chamber

The distribution of positions on the Board of Directors followed, in part, the so-called proportionality criterion, which allows parties to make their choices for spaces according to the size of the benches. However, the definition also occurred through political agreements defined between the parties.

By the criterion of proportionality, for example, the first vice-presidency should be occupied by the PL, which sought the position for being the largest group. The party federation led by the PT also had ambitions for the post, despite being the second largest bench in the Chamber.

What secured the Republicans the first vice was an agreement between the party and the PL around the presidency of the Senate and the presidency of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo (Alesp), according to the People’s Gazette with leaders of both parties.

Republicans supported the candidacy of Senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) for the presidency of the Senate and may also support the candidacy of state deputy André do Prado (PL) in the Alesp election, which takes place on March 15.

In addition to taking the first vice-presidency, the Republicans also secured an agreement with the PL and Lira himself and the other parties to elect his deputy Jhonatan de Jesus (RR) to the position of Minister of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), which is recommended by the Chamber and became vacant in July, with the retirement of former minister Ana Arraes. Voting will take place this Thursday (2).

Without the first vice-presidency, the PL made its nomination for the second vice-president. The PT even aimed for the first secretary and, in principle, could have the right to the post. However, Lira acted to ensure Bivar’s reappointment and maintain an agreement signed when the president of União Brasil abdicated a possible candidacy to support the reelection of the president of the Chamber.

Members of União Brasil and Lira, by the way, complain that they have not been properly honored in the ministerial team of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). Assuring the first secretariat was a way of balancing forces with the PT, despite the fact that the party was reluctant to accept the second secretariat.

Other Bureau positions were distributed according to the principle of proportionality, such as the third and fourth secretaries to the PSD and the MDB, respectively, who would be entitled to one position. The same goes for the cases of PSDB and PDT, which take on two substitutes.

What are the positions of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Deputies and what do they do?

The Board of Directors of the Chamber is responsible for directing the legislative works and the administrative services of the House. Its members cannot assume leadership, nor be part of a Special Commission, of Inquiry, the CPIs, or of a permanent commission, such as the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ).

The House’s Internal Rules provide for 29 different attributions of the Board. Among them, she is in charge of: enacting amendments to the Constitution; authorize the signing of agreements and contracts for the provision of services; propose actions of unconstitutionality that are judged by the Federal Supreme Court (STF); decide the number of deputies in each committee of the House. The Board must meet fortnightly to deliberate and forward the measures, not being able to miss five consecutive meetings.

In all, there are 11 members, each with different attributions:

Presidency: It exercises the institutional representation of the Chamber, supervises the works of the House and presides over the plenary sessions, resolving Matters of Order (Legisprudence). In addition, it is part of the succession line of the Presidency of the Republic, analyzes impeachment requests against the President of the Republic and is a member of the Council of the Republic and the National Defense Council.

1st Vice President: Replaces the President of the House in his absences or impediments and prepares opinions on requests for information and draft resolutions.

2nd Vice President: He replaces the president in the absence or simultaneous impediment of him and the first vice-president. It examines deputies’ requests for reimbursement of medical expenses, encourages institutional interaction between the Chamber of Deputies and the bodies of the Legislative Power of the federated entities, with a view to systematically developing legislative action.

1st Secretary: He is the superintendent of the administrative services of the Chamber, the “mayor” of the House. He is responsible for receiving correspondence, interprets and enforces compliance with the legal system for the Chamber’s personnel and administrative services, ratifies the House’s expenses and carries out the accreditation of political and press agents.

2nd Secretary: Promotes the management of internship contracts and the diplomatic passport.

3rd Secretary: It manages expenses with air tickets for parliamentarians and examines leave requirements and excuses for absences.

4th Secretary: It manages the Chamber’s housing system — which includes managing the housing allowance — and proposes to the Bureau the purchase, sale, construction and lease of properties.

Deputies: They replace the Board Secretaries, according to their ordinal numbering, and take part in the Board meetings in their absence. They only have voting power in the absence of the holders.