Braga suffers defeat in new attempt to take government by ‘tapetão’

Adrisa De Góes – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS (AM) – The senator for the Amazon Eduardo Braga (MDB) suffered new defeat in the Electoral Court to try, once again, win the command of the State Government in “tapetão” – brazilian soccer expression used when a team loses on the field, but tries to win by judicial vias. This is because, on Tuesday, 20, the majority of members of the Court of the Regional Electoral Court of Amazonas (TRE-AM) rejected the request for cassation filed by parliamentary against Governor Wilson Lima (UB).

The trial ended with four votes in favor and two against. Accompanied the vote of the rapporteur, Judge Carla Maria Santos dos Reis, the judges of the TRE-AM Victor André Liuzzi Gomes, Marcelo Pires Soares and Marcelo Manuel da Costa Vieira. The jurist member Fabricio Frota Marques, who had already advanced the vote against the embargos, changed his position and followed the divergence, pulled by the member of the Court Kon Tsih Wang, who had requested the case on the 12th.

Read more: Application for cassation of Braga against Wilson is rejected by three of the seven members of the TRE-AM

Vote of the rapporteur

The representation of number 0602276-66.2022.6.04.0000 asked for the impeachment of the candidacy of Wilson Lima for using the structure of the Security Forces of the State of Amazonas. In the request, Braga’s lawyers alleged use of personnel and vehicles in advertisements broadcast on television and social networks during the election campaign.

The rapporteur of the case, Judge Carla Reis, presented an amendment in which she justifies that the “motions filed do not serve to rediscuss the merits already settled by the Court. The magistrate also states that the “collection of factual evidence in the record was considered sufficient to the formation of conviction and the respective rendering of condemnatory decision for practice of prohibited conduct.

History

Senator Eduardo Braga collects four defeats in recent elections for the Government of Amazonas and has a history of trying to take over the command of the state through the courts. The last “successful” parliamentary action was against former governor Jose Melo, who had the mandate revoked in 2016.

Since then, Braga has suffered failures both at the polls and in the courts. The now deceased former governor Amazonino Mendes was also the target of attacks by the emerbist, as he did with Wilson Lima.

Braga x José Melo

In January 2016, the Regional Electoral Court of Amazonas (TRE-AM) decided for the cassation of the mandate of Melo (Pros) and vice-governor Henrique Oliveira (Solidarity) for vote buying in the 2014 election campaign. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) confirmed the decision of the state collegiate and determined supplementary elections in the state.

The lawsuit was filed by Eduardo Braga, Melo’s political opponent at the time. In 2014, José Melo was reelected in the second round, after managing to turn the dispute against Senator Eduardo Braga: Melo obtained 55.54% of the valid votes, against 44.46% of Braga.

After the cassation, Eduardo Braga still tried to get authorization, from the TRE-AM, to be immediately sworn in as governor, but his request was denied. Years later, in an interview to a local radio program in Amazonas, José Melo even stated that he felt betrayed by Eduardo Braga. “I dedicated myself like a wretch to elect him governor against Amazonino, who was a legend,” he said at the time.

Braga x Amazonino

With the determination of a supplementary election in 2017 for the Government of Amazonas, Eduardo entered the race with Marcelo Ramos as running mate. The main opponent was Amazonino Mendes who formed the slate with Bosco Saraiva.

At the time, the coalition “Union for the Amazon”, Braga, asked for the impeachment of the candidacy of Amazonino Mendes and vice. The request pointed out frauds in the minutes of the conventions of PDT, PSD, PRB and PSC that chose Amazonino as a candidate. The rapporteur João Simões, TRE-AM, rejected the request.