Brazil’s Bolsonaro assured to respect plenary decision on printed ballot – Chamber president

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Chamber of Deputies president Arthur Lira on Monday (9) said he discussed with President Jair Bolsonaro, his decision to send to the full chamber the proposed amendment to the Constitution (PEC) calling for printed ballots. He added that the President said he would respect the legislators’ decision. “President Bolsonaro assured me that he would respect the plenary decision.”

According to the Chamber president, the PEC should be voted on as early as this week, on Tuesday or Wednesday, and the project – widely advocated by Bolsonaro – is expected to be rejected.

“We have an average of 15 or 16 parties opposing the mandatory printed ballot, I think the chances of approval may be slim,” Lira said.

Lira on Friday announced that he would take the bill on the implementation of printed records in elections to the full Lower House, despite the proposal having been rejected 23 to 11 by a special committee the day before.

Lira said that his decision is intended to pacify the 2022 elections, after the printed ballot issue became the cause of tremendous tension between Bolsonaro – a staunch supporter of the proposal – and the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), which upholds the integrity of the current voting system.

For a PEC to be implemented, it must receive 60% approval by both houses of Congress: the positive vote of 308 of the 513 federal deputies in 2 voting rounds, and then the votes of 49 of the 81 senators, also in 2 rounds.

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