Rodrigo Savazoni
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – Yesterday deputy Severino Cavalcanti (PP-PE), who was the president of the Chamber of Deputies, resigned from the Congress. Cavalcanti was accused of extortion and receiving kickbacks from a restaurateur who did business in the congressional office building. In the face of overwhelming evidence of his malfeasance, Cavalcanti resigned rather than face expulsion which would make him ineligible to run for office for eight years. In fact, in a farewell speech, Cavalcanti promised to be back in 2006 when the next congressional elections will take place. "I will be back. The people of Pernambuco, once again, will not fail me," he exclaimed.

Cavalcanti is 74 years old and has been in politics for 40 years. He was mayor of his hometown, Joao Alfredo (pop. 27,000), state of Pernambuco, and then a state deputy for 28 years. Since 1995 he has been in Brasilia as a federal deputy, where he became known as the King of the Lower Clergy (Rei do Baixo Clero), or leader of a group of members of congress famous for having little prominence and less power.

Cavalcanti was elected, with 300 votes, out of 513, to be president of the Chamber of Deputies (equivalent to Speaker of the House, and next in line to succeed the president after the vice president), on February 15. He served as head of the Chamber for 218 days. His election was made possible by an internal division in the PT, which fielded two candidates, and the combined forces of the opposition and the lower clergy.

As president of the Chamber of Deputies, Cavalcanti worked hard to get a salary increase (which was not successful) and greater independence for the legislature (with mixed results).

Translator: Allen Bennett