EP Assembly reelects president and blocks Raquel Lyra – 11/14/2023 – Power

The president of the Legislative Assembly of Pernambuco, Álvaro Porto (PSDB), was re-elected this Tuesday (14) for the 2025/26 biennium. The vote would take place on February 1, 2025, but was brought forward, which generated behind-the-scenes friction with the government of Raquel Lyra (PSDB).

Álvaro obtained 40 votes in favor of reappointment, while 5 deputies voted blank and 1 null. Three parliamentarians were absent.

Despite being from the same party as Raquel, the parliamentarian has a strained relationship with the state government. Álvaro has sought the Assembly’s independence mark, which displeases the Executive.

In a speech as a candidate for re-election, Álvaro Porto stated that his format of action will continue. “Rest assured that Álvaro Porto will continue to be the same independent Álvaro Porto as today,” he said, in a speech in the plenary before the vote.

“Here, it’s not about government or opposition. It’s about a plural House, which has been doing work aimed at the people of Pernambuco. To this day, [de] all projects sent by the state government, which was good for Pernambuco and for the people, were approved. And this work will continue”, he added.

The early election was approved on the 7th. The proposed amendment to the Constitution, authored by deputy João de Nadegi (PV), received 40 votes in favor and none against among the 49 parliamentarians.

The reelection of the president of the Assembly is seen by the government as an attempt by deputies to increase pressure on Raquel to make concessions to parliamentarians, such as positions in the state machine and improved political articulation.

Parliamentarians also understand the gesture as greater empowerment of the President of the House.

An ally of Raquel, the PP did not rule out judicializing the election. Party members were even considering going to the STF (Supreme Federal Court). The state president of the party, federal deputy Eduardo da Fonte, told interlocutors that the Chamber and Senate do not anticipate internal elections.

This Tuesday, however, the internal assessment is that there is no climate for judicialization, because the PP deputies themselves participated in the vote.

In May 2023, Minister Dias Toffoli, of the STF, suspended the effects of a provision in the Constitution of Tocantins that provided for the election of the board of directors of the Legislative Assembly for the two biennia of the legislature for the same day.

The legal sector of the Assembly understands that the cases are different, as the anticipation in Pernambuco is only for a two-year period and with votes on different days.

In addition to the presidency, there was also voting for other positions on the Board of Directors. Those elected were Francismar Pontes (PSB) for the first vice-presidency, Fabrizio Ferraz (Solidariedade) for the second vice-presidency, Gustavo Gouveia (Solidariedade) for the first secretariat, Claudiano Martins Filho (PP) for the second secretariat, Romero Sales Filho (União Brasil) for the third secretariat and Alberto Feitosa (PL) for the fourth secretariat, in addition to four substitutes.

The Assembly’s tension with the state government reached its peak on October 18, when the state Parliament dealt a setback to Raquel Lyra by overturning, by 30 votes to 10, Tucana’s vetoes of the state’s Budget Guidelines Law.

The score indicated signs of fragility in the governor’s allied base. The dominant assessment is that the allied base is dissatisfied with Raquel, especially in the way of conducting the dialogue.

Dissatisfaction with the governor remains dominant in the Assembly. Parliamentarians complain about the way the government sends projects to the House, with little time for discussion sometimes, and the difficulty in releasing resources to electoral bases.

State deputies also complain about the difficulty of obtaining agendas from government secretaries.

At the beginning of the government, Tucana set up a predominantly technical secretariat, without political indications, which immediately displeased the deputies, who wanted to be considered or make recommendations.

The governor won the election with only three elected representatives, all from the PSDB, and has had problems consolidating the base. The PP, which has 8 deputies, is the closest to the government. The PL has positions in the state machine, but 2 of the 5 parliamentarians publicly criticize Raquel.

The government leader, Izaias Régis, articulates the adhesion of the PT, which has three deputies, to the allied base. The PT members, however, should not make this move before the municipal elections, when they will be allied with the PSB in Recife, probably, in support of the re-election of mayor João Campos, Raquel’s opponent.

At the national level, the governor expanded the movements in favor of President Lula (PT), praising the performance of the Chief Executive. A party migration, with the PSDB leaving and going to the PSD, is being considered.