PSL President Plans to Remove Bolsonaro’s Sons From Party Command Positions

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In clear dissent with Jair Bolsonaro, the national president of PSL, Luciano Bivar, plans to remove brothers Flávio and Eduardo Bolsonaro from the party’s regional command in Rio and São Paulo.

Under article 72 of the PSL statute, the party president is in charge of “promoting the dissolution of the directories and provisional commissions in the states or municipalities, under the terms of the statute together with the majority of the national executive”.

In Rio and São Paulo, the PSL’s leadership is made up of provisional commissions. Party presidents in their respective states, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (Rio de Janeiro) and Federal Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (São Paulo) have mandates until December.

According to PSL legislators, the plan to dissolve the provisional commissions has been defined since last week, even before the Federal Police complied, on Tuesday morning, October 15th, with search and seizure warrants on addresses linked to Bivar.

The Federal Police’s action is part of the investigation into a scheme disclosed by the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo of strawmen candidacies within the party.

Also according to legislators with whom Bivar has spoken, there are names for the likely successors of Flávio and Eduardo, as well as for future PSL’s municipal presidents. For Flávio’s seat in Rio, Sergeant Gurgel should be chosen. For Eduardo’s position, in São Paulo, deputy Junior Bozzella, who was already a member of the party before the Bolsonaros’ affiliation, is the one quoted.

The crisis sparked by Jair Bolsonaro’s recent statements recommending that a supporter forget the PSL has spurred the debate.

The new PSL structure would meet the demands of backbenchers who oppose the power conferred on the Bolsonaro clan to the detriment of the other members of Congress.

In order to dissolve PSL, Bivar must abide by the by-laws, such as dismissal in the event of inaccuracy in the exercise of office, violation of party loyalty, or the inability to settle disagreements among its members.

In March this year, Flávio Bolsonaro granted powers to PSL deputies to prevent his dismissal from the party’s presidency in Rio.

Under threat of losing party command since the disclosure of suspicious financial transactions involving Fabricio Queiroz, his former advisor in the Legislative Assembly of Rio, the senator invited legislators to positions in the party’s leadership. But part of the bench was excluded from this sharing.

Source: Folhapress