Brazilian congressman collects enough signatures to set up committee to investigate abuses of Supreme and Electoral Court

Congressman Marcel van Hattem announced on Thursday (Nov. 24) that he has already obtained 178 signatures for the creation of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI), which aims to investigate the conduct of magistrates of the Supreme Court (STF) and the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

For the establishment of the CPI, 171 signatures of the deputies are required.

The commission will also investigate the “violation of fundamental rights and guarantees, the practice of arbitrary conduct without due process of law – including the adoption of censure – and acts of abuse by members of the TSE and STF.

Van Hattem cites the following cases that justify the opening of the CPI:

1) Search and seizure at addresses of business people for having shared messages in private chat groups/apps;

2) The determination to block the bank accounts of 43 people/companies on suspicion of financing protests, rebranded as being anti-democratic acts;

3) The censorship of members of Congress, economist Marcos Cintra, the production company Brasil Paralelo, the radio station Jovem Pan, and the newspaper Gazeta do Povo.

“It is a CPI that seeks to pacify the country at this moment. We are rightly charged to act at this moment. The Brazilian parliament must stand in its rightful place, which is the defense of democracy.”

“We are the representatives of the Brazilian people, and any arbitrary measure, whether it comes from the Executive or the Judiciary, if one day it hits one side of the political spectrum, the next day it will be free to hit the other.”

“It is not with this kind of attitude that we will solve the problems that eventually our young democracy has”, said the parliamentarian.

Alongside van Hattem, congressman Paulo Ganime endorsed the CPI request and criticized the behavior of the higher courts.

“There is no master of democracy in Brazil. A minister, or any other member of the Judiciary, cannot think he owns democracy and law in Brazil. This is done through balance and harmony,” he said.