Political scandal in Brazil.

Sunday, May 27th 2001 - 21:00 UTC

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Two of the most powerful Brazilian Senators have opted to resign from Congress after it was proved both had forced staff to reveal information of a secret vote on the previous ousting of another Senator in 2000, responsible for a billion US dollars embezzlement.

Senator José Arruda, who was head of the ruling coalition block and a close advisor of President Fernando Cardoso, and Senator Antonio Carlos Magalhaes, former president of the upper chamber and leader of northeast Brazil opted to resign rather than be expelled from Congress, since they would then be banned from running for office again.Apparently both Senators, for different interests, forced the head of the computerized voting system of the Brazilian Senate to reveal a crucial vote record involving another ruling coalition ousted Senator now in jail. Arruda in tears finally admitted before his fellow Congressmen his responsibility, but blamed "political conspiration". Mr. Magalhaes denied the charges saying it was simply the "set up of a long campaign to humiliate him". Mr. Magalhaes, head of the Liberal Front party and one of the main pillars of the ruling Brazilian coalition is in open confrontation with President Cardoso since he was not re-elected as president of the Senate, a post he held for several consecutive legislatures. When at the beginning of the current legislature Mr. Cardoso favored Senator Arruda, war was declared and Mr. Magalhaes began denouncing corruption cases involving President Cardoso's family and closest circle. The sequence of incidents also includes a last minute frustrated attempt to name a Congressional inquiry committee into the Cardoso Administration, plus the resignation of several Ministers and high officials. However Mr. Magalhaes is confident he can either be elected Governor of Bahia state, his stronghold, or even return as a Senator in 2002 when the general election. Meantime his son, Antonio Carlos, will occupy his seat in the Senate. Actually Mr. Cardoso and Mr. Magalhaes enmity was born from a disagreement about the ruling coalition presidential candidate for November 2002. The powerful leader of northeast Brazil argues he was promised the upper hand, but was later betrayed by President Cardoso and his cronies.

Categories: Mercosur.

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