Marcelo Ramos says that Bolsonaro’s interference in the Legislative is outrageous and calls Lira’s attitude ‘shameful’

Gabriel Abreu – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – Removed from the vice presidency of the House, the federal lawmaker Marcelo Ramos (PSD) was received on Thursday, 26, by supporters at the International Airport Eduardo Gomes, in the West Zone of Manaus. Ramos lost his seat on the board after clashing with President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) because of attacks on the Manaus Free Trade Zone (ZFM) and said the attitude of the president of the House is shameful and exposed the interference of Bolsonaro in the House of Representatives.

On Wednesday, 25, Congressman Lincoln Portela (PL-MG) was elected to the vice presidency of the House, in place of Marcelo Ramos, were 232 votes for the parliamentarian, who is a member of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front.

“A shameless interference, an interference with no other example of this in history. In the Military Dictatorship, the military removed congressmen from office, they didn’t order the mayor to remove the congressman, no mayor has ever had such a shameful attitude as President Lira had”, says Ramos.

At the airport, supporters of Ramos uttered slogans against President Bolsonaro. Some even said that the elections are coming and that Bolsonaro will leave office in December.

Ramos said that the decision to remove him as vice president was not regimental or legal, but political, and that such a decision undermines the freedom and autonomy of the Legislative Power.

“This is not a regimental or legal decision, it is a political decision, and a dangerous political decision, because it attacks the freedom and autonomy of this power”, said Ramos, who used party leadership time to speak.

Lira’s response

When holding the vote for the Vice Presidency, Arthur Lira read the excerpt of the rules of the House that deals with the replacement of members of the Executive Board when there is a change of parties and said that more parliamentarians lost positions, in addition to Marcelo Ramos, and said he would not respond to “party platform close-ups” (“lacrações palanqueiras”) or “stirrings of social networks”.

“In respect to all of you, ladies and gentlemen, I will not respond to any kind of lacrações palanqueiras and social network stirrings from any member of this House,” said the president.

Lira also denied that there was interference from the Executive Power for Marcelo Ramos to be removed from office, despite President Jair Bolsonaro stating that he asked the president of the PL for the exit of the parliamentarian of Amazonas from the Executive Board.

“There is no refutation of interference from any other power in this House, if all our decisions are based on majority decisions, of the collectivity of this plenary. The only monocratic decision that there was a request for interference by the Electoral Justice in the Board of this House in a monocratic way”, said Lira, referring to Ramos’ request to stay in office.

Moraes’ decision

This week, the minister Alexandre de Moraes said that the injunction (provisional decision) that kept Ramos in the Vice Presidency “guaranteed the free exercise” of the lawmaker in office until the recognition of just cause for his disaffiliation from the PL, which occurred and that possible illegalities related to the loss of function will be a discussion of competence of the Supreme Court (STF).

Ramos filed a lawsuit with the TSE asking for the recognition of his disaffiliation from the PL with the maintenance of his mandate, alleging “just cause” in leaving the party. The request was made a week after Bolsonaro joined the PL. Ramos alleges that he is now viewed with “discredit” within the party for his criticism of the president.

During the process, the PL did not question Ramos’ just cause for disaffiliation, which would validate the understanding that the party would allow the congressman to keep his mandate even if he left the party.

“It should also be noted that the PL did not even file an answer to the present lawsuit, although it was duly summoned, which makes the facts uncontroversial. In this context, it should be ensured to the Applicant the full exercise of the mandate for which elected in the remaining time,” said Moraes.