Brazil’s Defense Ministry nominates military personnel to oversee elections

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Minister of Defense, General Paulo Sergio Nogueira, sent a letter to the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) indicating the name of the ten representatives of the Armed Forces that will supervise the elections this year.

Several bodies can act as “supervising entities” for the elections. Among them are the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association), MP (Public Prosecutor’s Office), PF (Federal Police), STF (Supreme Court), and the National Congress.

The TSE included the Armed Forces in the list of watchdogs in 2019. At the time, the plenary of the Court followed the rules reported by Justice Roberto Barroso.

Here is the list of overseeing entities:

• Political parties;
• OAB (Brazilian Bar Association);
• Public Ministry;
• National Congress;
• Supreme Court;
• Office of the Comptroller General;
• Federal Police;
• Brazilian Computer Society;
• Federal Council of Engineering and Agronomy;
• National Council of Justice;
• National Council of Public Prosecutors;
• Federal Audit Court;
• and the Armed Forces.

The Defense Ministry had already informed on June 20 that it would appoint its representatives. At the time, it said it would appoint “military technicians”.

In a document dated June 22, the Minister of Defense sent the ten names of the representatives. They are:

• Colonel Marcelo Nogueira de Souza of the Army, who will act as head of the Armed Forces team;
• Colonel Wagner Oliveira da Silva, from the Air Force;
• Colonel Ricardo Sant’ana, from the Army;
• Captain Marcus Rogers Cavalcante Andrade, from the Navy;
• Captain Helio Mendes Salmon, from the Navy;
• Capital Vilc Queupe Rufino, of the Navy;
• Lt. Col. Rafael Salema Marques of the Air Force;
• Major Renato Vargas Monteiro of the Army;
• Major Antônio Amite, of the Army;
• and Captain Heitor Albuquerque Vieira of the Air Force.

“I take this opportunity to thank Your Excellency for the manifestations of appreciation and consideration and renew the permanent dialogue of this Ministry with the Electoral Court,” says the letter sent to Justice Edson Fachin, president of the TSE.

On June 10, the Ministry of Defense sent a letter to the TSE stating that the Armed Forces do not feel “properly honored” by the Court. The reason would be the lack of dialogue about seven suggestions made by the military to the Court.

In response, the TSE said in a statement that the Court is open to institutional dialogue that “honors republican values and constitutional legality.”

The seven recommendations that generated the dispute were made to the TSE on March 22, after the deadline for changes in the electoral rules had expired.

With information from Poder360