Chamber should only suspend Quaquá for breach of decorum

The Chamber’s Ethics Council will be prompted to analyze, upon the return of legislative activities after the recess on February 2, the incident in which deputy Washington Quaquá (PT-RJ) slapped his colleague Messias Donato (Republicanos-RJ) in the face. ES) during a plenary session on December 20th. Despite the opposition’s demand for Quaquá’s impeachment and the statements by the president of the House, deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL), expressing the desire for an exemplary response, the trend discussed even by PT leaders is one of mild punishment. Behind the scenes, the aggressor himself signals an agreement aimed at preserving his mandate, through removal.

In a statement, the Opposition Leadership in the Chamber repudiated the conduct of Quaquá, who is also national vice-president of the PT, highlighting that he also directed insults at Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), calling him a “faggot” in the same episode of the solemn session of Congress to enact the Tax Reform. For the opposition bench, the “unjustifiable aggression” is serious. She violates decorum and must be punished with loss of office, in accordance with the Code of Ethics. They also point out that, in 2015, Quaquá incited the use of violence against opponents on social media. Deputy General Girão (PL-RN) emphasized to the People’s Gazette the need for a severe response, warning that, otherwise, “the Chamber will turn into an MMA fight”.

Even the government leader in the Chamber, José Guimarães (PT-CE), considered the fact regrettable, emphasizing that it further lowers the level of debate in Congress. “The plenary is not a cockfighting ground,” he declared. He appeals to Arthur Maia for a gesture in favor of discipline and hopes that the Ethics Council will put an end to this type of behavior.

The incident began with Quaquá filming oppositionists on his cell phone who shouted in chorus “Lula, thief! You belong in prison!”, in the presence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). In the confusion, the PT deputy had his arm pulled, then insulting Nikolas Ferreira and attacking Donato.

In a statement, Quaquá stated that he reacted to offenses against Lula and used his cell phone to document future proceedings against opposition colleagues on the Ethics Council. On another occasion, the parliamentarian stated that he had no regrets and that he would act in the same way in defense of the President of the Republic.

Faced with this public confrontation, Lira sees a demoralization for Congress and defends punishments if reports of physical and verbal attacks between deputies reach the Ethics Council, indicating her preference for warnings or suspensions, considering impeachment as a last resort. Deputies claim that the president of the Chamber was irritated by the fights, as they disturbed his moment of glory at the end of the legislative year.

The president of the Chamber’s Ethics Council, Leur Lomanto Júnior (União-BA), reported on the 27th that the collegiate has not yet received any representation questioning Quaquá’s conduct. For parliamentarians to be judged by the collegiate, it is necessary for a party to present a representation for breach of parliamentary decorum. After approval by the council, the case goes to the House plenary, where punishments can range from censure to revocation of the mandate.

The expectation was that the Republicans, the party of the attacked deputy, would call the council for measures regarding the physical aggression that occurred within Congress, an obviously serious situation. However, analysts see difficulties for the president of the Republicans, deputy Marcos Pereira (SP), to make this decision, as he intends to run for the command of the Chamber in February 2025 with the support of the PT, as opposed to the candidate to be launched by Lira.

PT still wants to punish deputies who cursed Lula in plenary

The leader of the PT, deputy Zeca Dirceu (PR), has defended representation to the Chamber’s Ethics Council against the deputies who insulted Lula in plenary. Centrão leaders now suggest suspending Quaquá’s mandate, considering the slap insufficient for impeachment, but emphasizing the need for “intermediate” punishment to avoid future incidents.

The figure of the PT deputy, who was also a former mayor of Maricá (RJ), is controversial even within his own party. He caused embarrassment at the beginning of last year when he defended the continuation of the former Minister of Tourism, Daniela Carneiro (União Brasil), in office. In February, he provoked controversy by posting a photo alongside deputy Eduardo Pazuello (PL-RJ), former Minister of Health in the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), with friendly expressions.

According to data from the Chamber’s website, Quaquá was one of the most absent deputies from the plenary in 2023, with 20 unexcused absences, ranking second, behind only Antônia Lúcia (Republicanos-CE) and ahead of Olival Marques (MDB -SHOVEL). The PT member justified his absences with work outside the plenary and political articulations.