The proposal by Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, to call for a referendum to consult the people on a political reform was sentenced to death in Congress due to the rejection of political parties.
Most of the groups represented in the legislature described as unviable the implementation of the plebiscite suggested by Rousseff this year, in response to the demands of the people that participated last June in mass protests in over 100 Brazilian cities.
The leader of the House of Representatives, Henrique Eduardo Alves postponed the creation of a commission to discuss the president’s project due to differences between legislators of the Workers Party (PT), in government, and other groups allied of the federal administration.
The head of state suggested holding the plebiscite on five major points: campaign financing (public or private), the electoral system (proportional, district or mixed voting), parliamentary substitutions, maintenance of coalitions and the end of the secret ballot .
Meanwhile, PT leader in the House of Representatives, Jose Guimaraes, acknowledged the lack of support for this initiative from government allies in that body while the head of the House of Representatives, Henrique Eduardo Alves admitted in recent days that a group of lawmakers are working on another initiative in parallel to that of Rousseff, option that would be considered a plan B.
The opposition’s idea is to hold a referendum next year along with the 2014 presidential election so that voters may ratify or reject rules already written.
At the same time, Brazil’s Executive also proposed to work in other priority areas such as fiscal responsibility and control of inflation, public health, transportation and education, but it should also seek a broad consensus among a political diversity segment that controls states and municipalities
Via PL