Temer faces challenge in Congress from his potential successor

Thursday, July 13th 2017 - 08:41 UTC

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Maia's comments pit Temer against the man who would replace him if Congress allows the Supreme Court to advance with a recent corruption charge

Temer assured senators that he would use a decree to tweak the legislation as they suggested after he signs it into law. But Maia rejected any such arrangement.

The speaker of the lower house of Brazil's Congress, Rodrigo Maia, vowed on Wednesday to fight any changes President Michel Temer makes to a landmark labor reform passed by the Senate a day earlier, highlighting fresh tension between longtime allies.

The comments pit Temer against the man who would replace him if Congress allows the Supreme Court to advance with a recent corruption charge against the president, a vote that Maia has said he would like to hold this week.

The bill, a business-friendly measure modernizing labor laws dating from the 1940s, passed by a wide margin in the Senate following approval in the lower house and will be sent to Temer to be signed into law.

Given that any changes in the Senate would have sent the bill back to the lower house for fresh debate, Temer assured senators on Tuesday that he would use a decree to tweak the legislation as they suggested after he signs it into law. But Maia rejected any such arrangement.

”The lower house will not accept any change to the law. Any (presidential decree) will not be recognized by the House,” the speaker said in a Twitter post shortly after midnight.

Temer was charged last month in connection with a graft scheme involving JBS SA, the world's biggest meatpacker. Executives said the president took bribes to resolve tax matters and facilitate loans from state-run banks.

Temer has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Under Brazilian law, two-thirds of the lower house of Congress must vote to allow a criminal charge against a sitting president to move to the Supreme Court. The vote could happen Friday or possibly be delayed until early August, after a congressional recess.

Categories: Politics, Brazil.

Tags: Brazil, Brazilean Congress, Michel Temer, Rodrigo Maia.

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Jack Bauer
“The speaker of the lower house of Brazil's Congress, Rodrigo Maia, vowed on Wednesday to fight any changes President Michel Temer makes to a landmark labor reform passed by the Senate a day earlier, highlighting fresh tension between longtime allies.”

Regarding the above, don't agree with the conclusion that “the comments pit Temer against the man who would replace him if Congress .....” for the simple reason that Temer himself was strongly against any changes to his original text (whereby the obligatory contribution of one day's salary to the unions is eliminated, immediately), and his signalling to the unions that he was prepared to sign an executive order that in some way would guarantee some funding, was only a ploy to encourage Congress to approve the Law, without amendments. Since Temer did not discuss this with R. Maia, at least not officially, it leaves Maia free to declare he will block any changes to the original text....exactly as Temer, and Maia, wanted right from the beginning.
This does not mean that Maia won't eventually succeed Temer, but that is another story.
Jul 13th, 2017 - 06:19 pm 0
DemonTree
“a vote that Maia has said he would like to hold this week.”

Hmm, it's starting to sound like Maia fancies his chances of becoming President. Has Brazil had three Presidents in one year before?
Jul 14th, 2017 - 12:46 pm 0
:o))
Temer/Maia [+ their Political-Skills] are temporary ONLY!
Jul 15th, 2017 - 01:07 pm 0

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