How was the composition of the Board of Directors of the Senate

After the victory of senator Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) for the presidency of the Senate for the next two years, the senators held this Thursday (2) the election for the other positions of the Board of Directors. In addition to the first and second vice-presidents, there was a vote to choose four secretaries of the House. All make up the block of parties that supported Pacheco. The PL, the second largest bench and which launched the defeated Rogério Marinho (RN) for the presidency of the House, ended up without any position in the direction of the Senate.

Faced with an agreement previously closed by the parties that supported Pacheco’s candidacy, most of the positions in dispute had a single candidacy. The block of Pacheco’s allied parties was composed of the PSD, MDB, PT, PDT, PSB and the Sustainability Network. União Brasil declared independence in the dispute, but one wing supported Pacheco’s group.

Senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo (MDB-PB) was re-elected for the first vice-presidency. As for the second vice-presidency, the PL, which was defeated in the race for the presidency with the candidacy of Rogério Marinho, tried to sign the name of Senator Wilder Morais (PL-GO). The PL’s argument is that the proportionality of benches should be respected, given that the party has 12 senators, second only to the PSD, which has 15 parliamentarians. Despite the argument, the PL senator ended up withdrawing his candidacy and Senator Rodrigo Cunha (União-AL) ended up taking the vacancy.

“In this way, as there was a consensus, already discussed with the other colleagues, with the other parties, my party, União Brasil, presented my name. It is not a name thrown to the wind, it is not a separate candidacy, but rather , a consensus candidacy,” said Cunha.

Also elected were senators Rogério Carvalho (PT-SE) for the first secretary; Weverton (PDT-MA) for the second secretary; Chico Rodrigues (PSB-RR) as third secretary; and Estyverson Valetin (Podemos-RN) as the fourth secretary.

Voting took place in a single block and 66 senators voted yes, 12 no and two abstained. Those elected will hold office until February 1, 2025.

Senators must still elect four alternates who replace the secretaries, but this vote has not yet been set. “This presidency will opportunely schedule a session for such deliberation”, stated Rodrigo Pacheco.

The absence of women was questioned by the female Senate bench

During the vote, senators who make up the women’s bench questioned the absence of women in the dispute for the positions of the Senate’s Board of Directors. The nomination of names is made by the leadership of each party during the bloc negotiations.

“We understand the agreements that are signed in the House and we understand that the parties need, within their intimacy, within their set, to better dialogue with the women who represent these parties. But it is regrettable, yet another election that we had to signal the lack of of women in the electoral process”, argued senator Leila Barros (PDT-DF).

Along the same lines, Senator Soraya Thronicke (União-MS) argued that women are used as a “step” by men in politics. “Today we are the majority of the Brazilian electorate and we remain underrepresented. Unfortunately we exist as a stepping stone for most men to hold public office. Many women are used in politics, and this awareness needs to come to the minds of Brazilians so that they respect the women,” he argued.

There was an expectation that the leader of the female bench Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA) would run for the first vice-presidency independently. Its name, however, would be launched by Cidadania, but in the last week it ended up migrating to the PSD, a party that already had Pacheco’s candidacy for Senate president.

“I had actually submitted my name to a ticket running for the Senate’s Board of Directors, at that moment I was a member of Cidadania. Now affiliated with the PSD, I could not, in fact, run for another vacancy, because I would go against the grain of an understanding of my bench”, explained the senator from Maranhão.

After the questions presented by the women’s group, senator Rodrigo Pacheco demanded that the parties be aware of the participation of women in politics. In addition to the vacancies of alternates for the Board, the President of the Senate demanded that the leaders of the parties consider the senators in the nominations for the thematic committees of the House.

“Faced with the nominations made by the political parties and the non-contemplation of women in the Board of Directors, I defend that the party leaders and the parties have sensitivity in relation to the four remaining vacancies and in the participation of the thematic Commissions in the House”, replied Pacheco.

What is it and what do the positions of the Board of Directors of the Senate do

The members of the Board of Directors are the same ones that make up the Board of Directors, which is responsible for the direction of the Senate. The 1st Vice President is the President’s immediate replacement in his absences, followed by the 2nd Vice President.

The 1st secretary is primarily responsible for the administrative conduct of the Senate. The 2nd secretary has the specific attribution of recording the minutes of secret sessions. The 3rd and 4th secretaries assist in conducting some sessions.

The Board members, with the exception of alternates, make up the Senate Steering Committee, which is responsible for the organization and operation of the House and the final wording of all proposals that are approved by the senators.