A special election for the position of president of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil took place on July 14, 2016, during the 55th legislature. The election was necessary due to the resignation of Eduardo Cunha, announced on the 7th of that month. According to the Brazilian Constitution, the president of the Chamber of Deputies is the second in

line of succession An order, line or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated, such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Presidency of the Republic (the first being the

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

). Elected to the position in February 2015, Cunha decided to resign from office to increase his chances of not being

impeached Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eu ...

by the full House. He had been removed from his duties as a parliamentarian by the

Supreme Federal Court The Federal Supreme Court (, , abbreviated STF) is the supreme court (court of last resort) of Brazil, serving primarily as the country's Constitutional Court. It is the highest court of law in Brazil for constitutional issues and its rulings ...

(''Superior Tribunal Federal'' - STF) on May 5, 2016. The STF concluded that Cunha had been using his power to interfere with

Operation Car Wash Operation Car Wash (, ) was a landmark anti-corruption probe in Brazil.Kurtenbach, S., & Nolte, D. (2017). Latin America's Fight against Corruption: The End of Impunity. GIGA Focus Lateinamerika, (03). Beginning in March 2014 as the investiga ...

, which was investigating him and his family. The first round had 13 candidates.

Rodrigo Maia Rodrigo Felinto Ibarra Epitácio Maia (born 12 June 1970) is a Brazilian politician who served as the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil between July 2016 and February 2021. A member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party since 2022 ...

( DEM- RJ) received 120 votes, followed by Rogério Rosso ( PSD- DF) with 106 and Marcelo Castro ( PMDB- PI), who got 70 votes. Another 198 votes were distributed among other ten candidates. As no candidate had reached fifty percent of the valid votes, a second round was held, in which Maia was elected with 285 votes, or 61.54%, and sworn in on the same day.

Context

Eduardo Cunha's mandate and resignation

Deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

Eduardo Cunha ( PMDB-RJ) was elected president of the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

in the first round of the election held in February 2015. During the campaign, he maintained a tone critical of the government and promised that he would maintain independence from the

Executive branch The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

, headed by President

Dilma Rousseff Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the only woman to have held the ...

. The government supported and helped

Arlindo Chinaglia Arlindo Chinaglia (born 24 December 1949) is a Brazilian politician and former President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil 2007–2009. He represents the state of São Paulo in the National Congress of Brazil for the Workers' Party Worke ...

( PT- SP), who came in a distant second place. While Cunha got the support of fourteen

parties A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

, only four supported Chinaglia. In early March 2015, Minister

Teori Zavascki Teori Albino Zavascki (15 August 1948 – 19 January 2017) was a Brazilian people, Brazilian judge who served as a Superior Court of Justice (Brazil), Minister of the Superior Court of Justice from 8 May 2003 until 29 November 2012, appointed by ...

, of the STF, authorized the opening of an investigation against Cunha as part of Operation Car Wash. The request, sent by Prosecutor of the Republic Rodrigo Janot, argued that the deputy had benefited from the corruption scheme at

Petrobras Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by and Trade name, trading as the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a Brazilian state-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ...

by receiving kickbacks from businessman Júlio Camargo to broker a contract for the lease of a platform vessel. Cunha called the charges "ridiculous" and considered Janot's request a "joke". While defending himself against the accusations, Cunha did not facilitate the approval of projects of interest to the federal government. In addition, he gave a large space to the opposition in the plenary votes. In June, at the same time that the accusations of Operation Car Wash were accentuated against him, he announced that he would break with the government and, from then on, would be a member of the opposition. As justification for his decision, he accused the Planalto Palace of having articulated with Janot to incriminate him in Operation Car Wash. In August, Cunha was one of the first parliamentarians to be the target of an indictment offered by the

Prosecutor General of the Republic The prosecutor general of the Republic () is the head of the Brazilian Federal Prosecution Office, an autonomous agency in charge of criminal prosecution and the defense of society in general. The prosecutor general heads a group of independent ...

(''Procurador-Geral da República'' - PGR) as a result of the investigations of Operation Car Wash. In the justification of the decision, the Attorney General Office (''Advocacia-Geral da União'' - AGU) stated that it had evidence of criminal involvement of the politician in transactions related to Petrobras. In the following months, new evidence emerged that he kept accounts with undeclared millionaire balances in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, a fact he had personally denied in the Petrobras Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (''Comissão Parlamentar de Inquérito'' - CPI) in March. In mid-October, Zavascki authorized the opening of an inquiry against Cunha to investigate the legislator's alleged accounts in Switzerland, and deputies from PSOL and REDE requested the cassation of his mandate in the Ethics Council. As the basis for the request, they argued that he had violated parliamentary

decorum Decorum (from the Latin: "right, proper") was a principle of classical rhetoric, poetry, and theatrical theory concerning the fitness or otherwise of a style to a theatrical subject. The concept of ''decorum'' is also applied to prescribed lim ...

by lying that he did not have any accounts abroad. The cassation proceedings against Cunha were instituted in early November 2015. However, using a series of appeals and maneuvers, he managed to delay the proceedings. These maneuvers led Janot to ask the STF for Cunha's removal from office, alleging that the congressman used his power and mandate for illicit purposes, including to obstruct criminal investigations. Eduardo_Cunha_em_5_de_junho_de_2016

On December 2, Cunha accepted the opening of impeachment proceedings against Dilma. The acceptance occurred shortly after the PT supporters announced their support for the loss of her mandate, which caused some to consider this an act of revenge. There were also rumors about attempts at an agreement between Cunha and Dilma, in which he would deny admissibility, while the PT supporters would save her mandate in the Ethics Council; both denied the existence of such an agreement. As the process against her advanced with Cunha's support, he gained time and managed to prevent the progress of the impeachment request against him. In early March 2016, Cunha became the first parliamentarian defendant in Car Wash. Unanimously, the STF found that there was evidence that he had demanded and received

bribes Bribery is the corrupt solicitation, payment, or acceptance of a private favor (a bribe) in exchange for official action. The purpose of a bribe is to influence the actions of the recipient, a person in charge of an official duty, to act contrar ...

. A month later, Cunha led the vote that approved the continuation of Rousseff's impeachment. Breaking the tradition of neutrality of his office, he voted in favor of the request and was the target of numerous criticisms and praises. In the same month, Zavascki authorized the opening of two more investigations against the parliamentarian, both related to suspicions of receiving undue advantages, which his defense denied, as well as claimed that the Swiss accounts were

trusts A trust is a legal relationship in which the owner of property, or any transferable right, gives it to another to manage and use solely for the benefit of a designated person. In the English common law, the party who entrusts the property is k ...

. On May 5, Zavascki granted a request by Janot and removed Cunha from his duties as federal deputy and president of the Chamber indefinitely - this historic decision was referenced by all STF

justices ''Justice'' (abbreviation: ame ''J.'' and other variations) is an honorific style and title traditionally used to describe a jurist who is currently serving or has served on a supreme court or some equal position. In some countries, a justice ma ...

on the same day, who classified it as an exceptional measure. In a press conference, Cunha denied that he would resign and claimed that he was suffering retaliation for the impeachment process. With the STF's decision, there were requests from deputies from various parties for the Chamber to choose a new president. However, deputy

Waldir Maranhão Waldir Maranhão Cardoso (born 4 August 1955) is a Brazilian politician and a member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). He was rector of the State University of Maranhão ( Universidade Estadual do Maranhão) before being elected t ...

( PP- MA) ran the House while Cunha was away. Maranhão was unable to stand up to his other colleagues and isolated himself after his failed attempt to overturn the vote that approved the admissibility of Rousseff's impeachment - although he reversed his decision a few hours later. On June 14, a few days after the PGR denounced Cunha for the third time to the STF, the Ethics Council approved by eleven to nine the opinion of congressman Marcos Rogério (DEM- RO) recommending Cunha's cassation. On July 7, he announced his resignation as president of the Chamber, although he had stated that he would not do so. Cunha was the first president to resign in the middle of a Congressional term since Severino Cavalcanti in 2005. His decision was influenced by the progress of Operation Car Wash and the inclusion of family members in the allegations. In addition, he also calculated that he would have a better chance of avoiding his impeachment as deputy if he resigned as president. After his departure, he was described as the "most powerful president of the Chamber in recent decades" ( Veja) and "the most powerful Chamber president since Ulysses Guimarães" ( Época). On the other hand, Cunha was unpopular among public opinion, which mostly defended his resignation (76%) or impeachment (78%).

Importance and benefits of the position

The position was strategic for the country, since the president of the Chamber is the second in line of succession to the Presidency of the Republic. Among his attributions are the power to decide on the opening of impeachment petitions against the President of the Republic, the definition of the agenda of propositions that will be deliberated in the plenary, the admissibility of CPI, the indication of the

chairmen The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

and rapporteurs of the commissions that analyze

Constitutional Amendment A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...

(''Emendas Constitucionais'' - EC) proposals, the administration of an annual budget of 5.2 billion

reais The Brazilian real ( pl. '; sign: R$; code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real replaced the cruzeiro real in 1994. ...

, and the leadership of 3.2 thousand civil servants. The incumbent also sits on the National Defense Council and the Council of the Republic. The function of defining the agenda of the House is the most powerful prerogative that the president of the Chamber has. Although the leaders of the parties are usually consulted about the voting priorities, the parliamentarian can decide on his or her own which topics will or will not go to deliberation in plenary. Therefore, projects of interest to the federal executive branch are only put on the agenda with the endorsement of the incumbent; consequently, he can put on the agenda projects that go against the interests of the presidency, such as the creation of billionaire expenses. Among the benefits of the position is the fact that its occupant has a residence located on the shores of Paranoá Lake, which has several employees paid by the state, official cars, security apparatus, flights in jets of the

Brazilian Air Force The Brazilian Air Force (, FAB) is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Brazilian Brazilian Army Aviation (1919–1941), Army and Brazilian Naval Aviation, Nav ...

(''Força Aérea Brasileira'' - FAB) and an annual budget of 4.2 million reais directed to the payment of employees' salaries.

Candidates

Registered

The following deputies have officially registered their candidacies: * Carlos Gaguim, ( PTN), Federal Deputy for

Tocantins Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 2014 ...

(since 2015), Governor of Tocantins (2009-2011), State Deputy for Tocantins (1999-2009), and City Councilor in Palmas (1993-1999). * Carlos Manato, ( SD), Federal Deputy for

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attracti ...

(since 2003). *

Cristiane Brasil Cristiane Brasil Francisco, commonly known as Cristiane Brasil (born 21 December 1973), is a Brazilian lawyer and politician. Former member of the Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), had been Federal Deputy, representing the state of Rio de Janeiro b ...

, ( PTB), Federal Deputy for

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

(since 2015) and City Councilor in

(2005-2015). * Esperidião Amin, ( PP), Federal Deputy for Santa Catarina (since 2011), Governor of Santa Catarina (1999-2003; 1983-1987), Senator for Santa Catarina (1991-1999) and Mayor of

Florianópolis Florianópolis () is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, in the South Region, Brazil, South region of Brazil. The city encompasses Santa Catarina Island and surrounding small islands, as we ...

(1989-1990; 1975-1978). * Evair de Melo, ( PV), Federal Deputy for Espírito Santo (since 2015). * Fábio Ramalho, ( PMDB), Federal Deputy for

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...

(since 2007) and Mayor of Malacacheta (1997-2004). * Fernando Giacobo, ( PR), Federal Deputy for Paraná (since 2003). *

Luiza Erundina Luiza Erundina de Sousa (; November 30, 1934) is a Brazilian politician, born in Uiraúna, a small city in the interior of the Brazilian state of Paraíba. Political history From 1980 to 1997, she was affiliated with the Workers' Party (Brazil ...

, ( PSOL), Federal Deputy for

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

(since 1999), Minister of Federal Administration (1993), Mayor of São Paulo (1989-1993), State Deputy of São Paulo (1987-1988), and City Councilor of

(1983-1986). * Marcelo Castro, ( PMDB), Federal Deputy for

Piauí Piauí ( ) is one of the states of Brazil, located in the country's Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. The state has 1.6% of the Brazilian population and produces 0.7% of the Brazilian GDP. Piauí has the shortest coastline of any coas ...

(since 1999),

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare spending and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental heal ...

(2015-2016) and State Deputy of Piauí (1983-1995). *

Miro Teixeira Miro Teixeira (born May 27, 1945) is a Brazilian lawyer, politician and journalist. Background Teixeira graduated in Law at the Candido Mendes University. He operates from a political base in Rio de Janeiro. Political career He began his caree ...

, ( REDE), Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro (since 1987; 1971-1983) and

Ministry of Communications A Communications Ministry or Department of Communications is a ministry or other government agency charged with communication. Communications responsibilities include regulating telecommunications, postal services, broadcasting and print media. The ...

(2003-2004). *

, ( DEM), Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro (since 1999) and Secretary of Government of Rio de Janeiro's City Hall (1997-1998). * Rogério Rosso, ( PSD), Federal Deputy for the

Federal District A federal district is a specific administrative division in one of various federations. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of federal territory (e.g., India, Malaysia), or the ...

(since 2015) and

Governor of the Federal District The head of government () wields executive power in Mexico City. The head of government serves a six-year term, running concurrently with that of the president of the Republic. Mexico City, or CDMX, is the seat of national government, and is l ...

(2010-2011). * Orlando Silva, ( PCdoB), Federal Deputy for São Paulo (since 2015), City Councilor of São Paulo (2013-2015), Minister of Sports (2006-2011), and President of the National Union of Students (1995-1997). File:Gaguim.jpg, Carlos Gaguim (PTN) of Tocantins File:Carlos_Manato.jpg, Carlos Manato (SD) of Espirito Santo File:Cristiane_Brasil_em_agosto_de_2015.jpg, Cristiane Brasil (PTB) of Rio de Janeiro File:Esperidião_Amin.jpg, Esperidião Amin (PP) of Santa Catarina File:Evair_de_Melo_em_outubro_de_2015.jpg, Evair de Melo (PV) of Espírito Santo File:Fábio_Ramalho.jpg, Fábio Ramalho (PMDB) of Minas Gerais File:Fernando_Giacobo.jpg, Fernando Giacobo (PR) of Paraná File:Luiza_Erundina_em_abril_de_2016.jpg, Luiza Erundina (PSOL) of São Paulo File:Marcelo_Castro_em_fevereiro_de_2015.jpg, Marcelo Castro (PMDB) of Piauí File:Miro_teixeira2.jpg, Miro Teixeira (REDE) of Rio de Janeiro File:Entrevista_do_deputado_Rodrigo_Maia_(RJ)_-_07-11-201_(8164832754).jpg, Rodrigo Maia (DEM) of Rio de Janeiro File:Rogério_Rosso_em_28_de_março_de_2016.jpg, Rogério Rosso (PSD) of the Federal District File:Orlandosilva19122006.jpg, Orlando Silva (PC do B) of São Paulo

Dropouts

The following deputies announced their candidacy, but eventually dropped out: * Beto Mansur, (

PRB PRB may refer to: Companies and organizations * Periodic Review Board * Population Reference Bureau * Poudreries Réunies de Belgique, former Belgium armaments manufacturer * PRB (company), Australian Automotive Manufacturer * PRB, French Coatings ...

), Federal Deputy for São Paulo (since 2015; 1991-1997), Mayor of Santos (1997-2004) and City Councilor of Santos (1989-1991). * Fausto Pinato, ( PP), Federal Deputy for São Paulo (since 2015). * Gilberto Nascimento, ( PSC), Federal Deputy for São Paulo (since 2015), State Deputy for São Paulo (1993-2003) and City Councilman for São Paulo (1983-1992). * Heráclito Fortes, ( PSB), Federal Deputy for Piauí (since 2015; 1995-2003; 1982-1989), Senator for Piauí (2003-2011) and Mayor of

Teresina Teresina is the capital and most populous municipality in the Brazilian state of Piauí. Being located in north-central Piauí 366 km from the coast, it is the only capital in the Brazilian Northeast that is not located on the shores of th ...

(1989-1992). * Júlio Delgado, ( PSB), Federal Deputy for Minas Gerais (since 2003; 1999-2000). * Maria do Rosário, ( PT), Federal Deputy for

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...

(since 2003), Minister of the Special Secretariat for Human Rights (2011-2014), State Deputy for Rio Grande do Sul (1999-2003), and City Councilor of

Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...

(1993-1998). File:Plenário_do_Congresso_(25526284821).jpg, Beto Mansur (PRB) of São Paulo File:Fausto_Pinato.jpg, Fausto Pinato (PP) of São Paulo File:Gilberto_Nascimento.jpg, Gilberto Nascimento (PSC) of São Paulo File:Reunião_do_Parlatino_-_Parlamento_Latino-Americano_(20682470176).jpg, Heráclito Fortes (PSB) of Piauí File:Maria_do_rosario_2.jpg, Maria do Rosário (PT) of Rio Grande do Sul

Election

scheduled the election for July 14, a Wednesday. Registration for candidacies closed at noon on election day. Any of the 513 deputies could run, even if they did not have the support of their party. Candidates had up to one hour before the first round to withdraw. Initially, the first round of voting was to be held at 4 p.m., but ended up being held at 5:30 p.m. To be elected in the first round, a candidate had to obtain fifty percent of the votes, and the presence of at least half of the deputies was required. Voting in the first and second round was conducted in fourteen electronic ballot boxes, with a

secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote ...

. Rodrigo Maia got the official support of the PSDB, DEM, PPS, and PSB. Rogério Rosso, a close ally of Cunha, had the support of the "''

centrão In Brazilian politics, the ''Centrão'' ( – ) refers to a group of political parties that do not have a specific or consistent ideological orientation and aim at ensuring proximity to the executive branch in order to guarantee advantages and al ...

''", an informal block that brought together center-right parliamentarians, including PP, PSD, PR,

, PSC and PTB. In the second round, the first candidate gained the support of PDT, PCdoB, PR, and PTN, as well as the vote of some PT congressmen and other

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

parties, who wanted to avoid Rosso's victory.

Maia Maia (; Ancient Greek: Μαῖα; also spelled Maie, ; ), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, one of the major Greek gods, by Zeus, the king of Olympus. Family Maia is the daughter of A ...

and

Rosso Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza Region, Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of the river zone allowing year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakc ...

had voted in favor of Rousseff's impeachment and belonged to the ruling base, as well as pleasing the

Michel Temer Michel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia (; born 23 September 1940) is a Brazilian politician, lawyer and writer who served as the 37th president of Brazil from 31 August 2016 to 1 January 2019. He took office after the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impe ...

government. Even though they were from the PMDB, the candidacy of Castro, who voted against Rousseff's impeachment and was Minister of Health during Rousseff's second term, angered the Temer government. Because there were chances of Castro going to the second round, the government acted so that the two most voted were Maia and Rosso. On the second round, Maia received 285 votes, against 170 for Rosso. The victory of the deputy from Rio de Janeiro was considered an "anti-Cunha reaction." He was sworn in the same night of the vote for a term that would end in early February 2017.

First and second rounds

References

External links

Brazilian Chamber of Deputies website
{{Portal, Politics, Brazil, 2016 elections in Brazil July 2016 in South America

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