Senators propose new presidential election in October in Brazil

Six senators drafted this Tuesday (Apr. 19) a Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC) in the Senate that provides for new presidential elections in Brazil in October this year. According to the proposal, the president and vice-president elected this year would take office for two years, beginning in January 1, 2017. Thus, in 2018, there would be new general elections and the elected government would take office in 2019.

Senators Walter Pinheiro, Randolfe Rodrigues, Lídice da Mata, Cristovam Buarque, João Capiberibe and Paulo Paim had announced that they were working in the proposal, which has already collected 29 supporting signatures—two more than the necessary to submit it.

According to the authors of the proposal, this PEC does not intend to end President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment proceedings and would move forward parallel to it. The senators who submitted the proposal on new presidential election in October expect society to support the idea, for not recognizing the legitimacy of Vice-President Michel Temer to rule the country if Rousseff is impeached.

If approved by the Senate, in two rounds, the Proposed Constitutional Amendment for new presidential elections must be approved by the Chamber of Deputies, also in two rounds.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta