RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The meeting served to formalize his decision to leave the PSL to his allies and discuss the means of creating a new political party affiliation.
Bolsonaro has not yet processed his disaffiliation from the PSL. After doing so, he should be without a party until the foundation of the Alliance for Brazil.
Federal Deputy Daniel Silveira said that some 30 PSL deputies are expected to migrate to the new party,along with Bolsonaro. Names have not yet been determined.
The PSL today includes 53 of the 513 federal deputies, the second-largest party behind only PT, and three of the 81 senators. The Alliance for Brazil is also open to house politicians currently in other parties, said Silveira.
Next steps
Under the electoral justice system, the new group needs to collect 500,000 signatures in at least nine states and submit them to the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) by March 2020, so that the Alliance for Brazil may have its own candidates in next year’s municipal elections electing mayors and city councilors.
Dissident PSL members want signatures to be collected for the establishment of the new party through a digitally-certified app in order to speed up the process.
The tool’s development is to be supervised by lawyers hired by the pro-Bolsonaro wing to ensure its suitability for all court requirements. The top lawyers leading the initiative are Karina Kufa, representing Bolsonaro, and Admar Gonzaga, former TSE judge.
Silveira said that the electronic signature collection is “very secure, fast and accepted” when asked about the app’s feasibility.
“There is no doubt that if the president were to test it today and publish that he is founding a new party, he would collect a million [signatures] within 24 hours,” he said.
Silveira added that should the new party fail to be formed by March next year, dissidents intend to remain in the PSL – unless they are expelled.
Federal deputies fear they will lose their mandate if they are accused of “party infidelity” when they leave the PSL before March 2022 deadline.
President, governors, senators, and mayors may switch parties without just cause, according to the STF’s (Federal Supreme Court) ruling, only during a pre-election window.
When asked about the PSL’s party fund share at stake with the changes, Kicis and Silveira tried to minimize the issue and said that the move to the new party will take place, with or without the transfer of funds from the PSL to Alliance for Brazil.
The dissident PSL members will hold the Alliance for Brazil’s first national convention on November 21st in Brasília, deputies said. The organizing document and further details should be disclosed at the time.
Bia Kicis said she hoped Jair Bolsonaro would take over as president of the new party. A decision, however, has not been made.
Source: UOL