Lula says he will nominate deans with the most votes from universities

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said that he will nominate the most voted rectors from the triple list drawn up by the universities and that university autonomy will be guaranteed during his government. The statements were made this Thursday (19th) during a meeting with presidents of universities and federal institutes.

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“I want you to know that university autonomy will be guaranteed. In our entire mandate, you will have the right to be responsible because who is elected to be dean”, he said. Lula (PT) stressed that he will not choose the dean by preference “The ones who have to like the dean are the university professors, the employees and the university community”, he added.

The election of rectors during the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) led to discontent at federal universities. The President of the Republic receives a list with three names from educational institutions – the so-called triple list – and needs to choose one of them to assume the rectory. There is no obligation to choose the most voted in the internal consultation made to the academic community.

Generally, the president chooses the name with the most votes. However, contrary to this practice, Bolsonaro did not always nominate the most voted candidate to be dean. The former president even named a rector who did not participate in the “election” of a university.

With that, the Green Party (PV) asked in the Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) 6565 that the Federal Supreme Court (STF) determine that the president would have to nominate the most voted from the triple list. But the request was denied by the majority of ministers, maintaining the rules for choosing presidents of federal universities.