On Wednesday (26/04), Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD) accepted the request for the creation of the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry (CPI) regarding the attacks on 8 January against the government buildings in the Three Powers Plaza. Initially, the government did not support the CPI but with the disclosure of new information at the end of April, it changed its position. News sources say that the opposition will use the inquiry to attack the government and that it has potential to shake its popularity and political support. The CPI, which will have a period of 180 days and whose installation is scheduled for next week, must be chaired by a deputy and reported by a senator. The disputes for these seats have already begun.
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Opposition’s Weapon
The CPI was proposed by the opposition, which collected the necessary to open it. The government tried to block the commission, fearing damage to economic priorities in the Legislative, in addition to the possibility of the works being used as a political platform by the opposition.
Surveillance Images
On Wednesday (19/04), CNN Brazil released a video that showed Minister Edson Gonçalves Dias moving through the Planalto Palace while under attack by the rioters. Dias said that he went to the palace to remove the invaders from inside the place and check the depredation. Still, with the crisis generated by the images from the cameras of the internal circuit of the Palácio do Planalto, the episode led to the resignation of the then minister of the Institutional Security Office (GSI). Political commentators also say that by this moment, central authorities also understood that the installation of the CPI was inevitable, so the government began to work to control the commission.
Alerts to the Government
Recently, documents disclosed by Folha de São Paulo showed that the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) sent on 6 January – two days before the attacks –, alerts to Gonçalves Dias and to the Justice Ministry, which was under the command of the new minister Flávio Dino (PSB). The messages were about the possibility of violent actions and invasion of public buildings in the acts that would take place two days later, on 8 January. These reports are kept confidential. They are a compilation of messages distributed by WhatsApp between 2 and 8 January.
More Commissions
On Wednesday (26/04), a few other CPIs were approved, including one that focus on the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST). Federal Chamber President Arthur Lira (PP) created this commission to investigate the actions perpetrated by the MST. According to media outlets, the opposition considers that this CPI is an even better point of wear and tear for the Executive in Congress due to the movement’s close ties with President Lula.
Turmoil
These commissions were created at a time when the government still does not have a solid support base in Congress and is in a hurry to approve priority projects, such as the fiscal framework and tax reform. Demanded by parliamentarians and pressured by the lack of a solid base in Congress, the government seeks to accelerate the transfer of funds to each deputy as a way of improving the conditions in Congress and approving measures of interest.
Now, negotiations around the release of this type of funding will likely involve the support during these commissions, since the government seeks to have a majority of deputies and senators on the commissions, in addition to appoint chairman and rapporteur.
The amounts that the government can allocate for congressmen correspond to at least half of the amount that deputies will be able to receive this year to revert into projects of their interest, normally located in their political bases. These amounts would be added to the money from individual amendments to which parliamentarians are entitled.
