Luana Lourenço Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – Yesterday, on the last day that candidates could register their candidacies, the Chief Justice (“presidente”) of the Federal Electoral Board (“Tribunal Superior Eleitoral – TSE”), Richard Lewandowski, rejected seven requests for injunctions that would have permitted politicians to run for office who had their registration refused by regional electoral boards (“TREs”) based on the Ficha Limpa (Clean Criminal Record) law that makes convicted politicians ineligible to run for elections.
Lewandowski ruled that the candidates did not present plausible juridical arguments to justify their registration and suspend their ineligibility.
Candidates from Minas Gerais, Paraná and the Federal District were denied. Among them, Christianno Aruajo (PTB), who wanted to run for reelection to the Legislative Chamber in Brasilia. He was found guilty of abuse of economic power in 2006. The other would-be candidates were denied registration due to other electoral crimes, such as spending beyond limits and irregular campaign advertising (all of which is tightly controlled by TREs and the TSE).
However, on the other hand, some Brazilian politicians who are no strangers to corruption charges and convictions did manage to get registered as candidates at regional election board offices. Among them: Jackson Lago (PDT) who was removed from the governorship of Maranhão in April 2009, Joaquim Roriz (now PSC) who had to resign from the Senate to avoid expulsion in 2007, and Paulo Maluf (now PP) who was once called one of the most corruption politicians in the world by The Economist. It is possible that the TSE may revoke their registrations. But it is also possible that the Supreme Court will rule the Ficha Limpa law unconstitutional.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English - contains additional information

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