Marcos Chagas and Iolando Lourenço
Reporters Agência Brasil

Brasília - The victory by the government's candidate for the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies, Aldo Rebelo (PCdoB-SP), the former minister of Political Coordenation for the Lula administration, is being commemorated by the government and its allies as a step toward returning to legislative normalcy in the Congress and a chance to reestablish credibility following a series of scandals involving even the former president of the Chamber, Severino Cavalcanti (PP-PE).

"Rebelo has credibility and is capable of getting legislative work back on track. He is someone who is willing to talk to everybody," says the PSB leader, Renato Casagrande (ES), adding that with Rebelo's victory yesterday the environment in the Chamber improved immediately.

The candidate Rebelo defeated by 15 votes (258 to 243), José Thomáz Nonô (PFL-AL), declared that he hoped there would be less political coordination and more Chamber presidency from Rebelo.

Meanwhile, the leader of the PSDB in the Chamber, Alberto Goldman (SP) accused the government of buying votes to win the election. "After everything they did, all the votes they bought, all the favors they promised, even bringing cabinet members here to twist arms, and they won by only 15 votes... Well, it may have been an electoral victory, but it is a political defeat for the government."

The leader of the PT in the Senate, Aloizio Mercadante (SP) had a different opinion. "Rebelo will resuscitate the dignity of the Chamber. He has a long history of dialogue and negotiations. His election was democratic and should be respected."

Translator: Allen Bennett