MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brazil congress tries to contain public opinion fury and ends secret voting system
Brazil's lower house has voted on Wednesday to end the system of secret voting in the national legislature. That's been a main demand from anti-government protesters who've taken to streets since June. And it was one of the five specific reform items that President Dilma Rousseff told lawmakers to pass to meet demonstrators' demands. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesThirteen years in jail for corruption ... guilty but not serving his sentence
Sep 05th, 2013 - 11:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0Why not?
Because Brasil allows unlimited appeals - and allows the convicted individual to continue in public service during a lifetime of appeals.
So even a Brasilian president shown to have been guilty of spreading corrupt practices to all parts of the national, federal and state governance - by commission, by omission, by 'not being aware of what was going on' - could serve out subsequent terms of office claiming and resorting to the process of lifetime appeal ... or just bald, outright disregard of the laws of the land.
The Ficha Limpa looked good, it sounded good, but there are so many ways of circumventing 'inconvenient' restraints on making personal fortunes that you have to ask “Is there any hope for the future of Brasil?”
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!