Why Brazilians (should) take to the street (V) Imagine that in your country, a scheme is discovered wherein the Executive Power (ministers, President, all of the ruling Workers’ Party) pay members of other parties in the Legislative Power (parliament, senate) to vote according to the government’s (=the Worker’s Party) wishes. The parliamentarian receives $13.500 (€ 10.200) per month to vote along the government’s wishes. Nice sum on top of what you’re already making anyway (see (IV) of this series). The President’s Chief of Staff (very similar function as in the US) is accused of being the mastermind behind the scheme and is finally forced to step down, together with several people that are all linked to the Pres’ party. The President manages to stay out of the eye of the storm and is re-elected only one year after. The whole ‘investigation’ becomes 7 years of political stratego with Parliamentary Investigation Commissions and the lot and finally leads to convictions of several people by the Supreme Federal Court, despite several members of this ‘STF’ clearly leaning to the same Pres’ party, trying to diminish charges and sentences. But so far, so good it seems, justice seems to be done finally. Yet, today not one of the convicted persons is spending time behind bars… In Brazil, this scandal is called the ‘Mensalão’ (meaning ‘monthly’ (payment)), superpopular Pres. Lula was re-elected in 2006 after the scandal was uncovered in 2004-05. Is it reasonably possible he didn’t know anything about it? So his closest aides where scheming behind his back without informing him? Really? His Chief of Staff José Dirceu was convicted to 10 years and 10 months in October 2012…but is still at home today. So are the other convicted persons. The money used was tax money. The man who is mainly responsible for the trial leading to ‘justice’, is Justice Minister Joaquim Barbosa, ‘reporter’ of the trial and now n°1 of the Supreme Federal Court, a completely (party-)independent person who owes his position or career to no one but himself. Many Brazilians literally pray for him to become President once.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:29:12 +0000
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