Lula promises and then removes Codevasf from Lira’s leader – 06/14/2023 – Politics

The new leader of the parliamentary bloc of the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), was the character this week of yet another example of problems in the articulation of the Lula government (PT).

André Figueiredo (PDT-CE) received the promise that he would appoint the superintendent of the federal state-owned company Codevasf in Ceará, but later told parliamentarians that he learned, through the invitation to take office, that the position had been given to the PSD, Gilberto Kassab’s party.

Figueiredo will take over the leadership of the Lira block on Monday (19), replacing Felipe Carreiras (PSB-PE), in the rotation scheme set up by the mayor to attract subtitles to his surroundings.

Codevasf (Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco e do Parnaíba) was created 50 years ago for irrigation projects in the semi-arid region, but the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government turned it into a kind of “politicians’ shop”, through which congressmen use amendments to buy machinery, vehicles, equipment and paving works and direct products to their constituencies.

The model of change in Codevasf’s historical vocation took shape in Bolsonaro’s management, who handed over the state-owned company to the centrão in exchange for political support, but it remains the same in the Lula government, which still seeks to create a support base in Congress.

Codevasf is also the scene of suspicions of embezzlement of public money in contracts financed by congressional amendments.

According to parliamentarians, the leader of the government in the Chamber, José Guimarães (PT), who is from Ceará, had promised Figueiredo that he would appoint the state command of Codevasf.

Despite Guimarães’ promise, the command of Codevasf in the state will be occupied by a nominee from the PSD’s federal deputies’ bench in the state, which is made up of Célio Studart, Domingos Neto and Luiz Gastão.

According to members of the PSD, obtaining the command of the state-owned company had already been agreed since February with Alexandre Padilha, minister of Lula’s Institutional Relations Secretariat.

The agency’s superintendence in Ceará will be headed by Marlos Costa de Andrade, who in the Bolsonaro government commanded Funasa in the state. Initially, the Lula government extinguished Funasa, but Congress revoked the measure and the body should be recreated.

The inauguration ceremony of Marlos is scheduled for this Thursday (15th), in Fortaleza, with the presence of the CEO of Codevasf, Marcelo Moreira.

A Sheet José Guimarães said that he did not follow the case, but that he heard that there was a problem and that he would discuss the matter with Padilha. André Figueiredo, who was Minister of Communications in the second term of Dilma Rousseff (PT), did not appear.

The Lira block is the largest in the House, bringing together, among others, the PP, União Brasil, PSB and PDT, and sums up 174 of the 513 seats in the Chamber. It was created exactly in reaction to a parallel block commanded by PSD, MDB and Republicans – with a total of 142 deputies.

Lula was elected with a narrow margin of votes and, at the same time, saw Congress formed by a conservative majority. Left-wing parties account for only about a quarter of the total number of seats in the Chamber.

For this reason, since the transition, it has tried to attract a coalition that will give it solid legislative support, but it has faced several problems and defeats in the Chamber, even having distributed nine ministries to the MDB, PSD and União Brasil.

There is great dissatisfaction with political articulation, including in left-wing parties. One of the main complaints is precisely related to the division of federal offices between these center and right-wing parties.

Lira leads the centrão, which is divided into the two large blocs of the Chamber, and has been pressing for greater participation in the government.

União Brasil, for example, is pressing for the replacement of minister Daniela Carneiro (Tourism) by Celso Sabino (União Brasil-PA). Daniela is from the Union, but intends to migrate to the Republicans.

Lula is due to meet his ministry this Thursday (15th) and there is the expectation that he demands more commitment from his team in the relationship with Congress, in addition to explaining the need to attract to his base parties that are currently independent, such as the PP from Lira.

In addition to the positions, congressmen complain about the lack of attention that government ministers pay to their claims, in addition to the delay in releasing amendments to the Union Budget, currently the main instrument of relationship between the Executive and the Legislative.