Party benches seeking to oust lower house speaker

The Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) filed a complaint with the Ethics Committee of the Chamber of Deputies Tuesday (Oct. 13) to remove house speaker Eduardo Cunha's from office for unethical conduct in parliament.

The move was endorsed by the Sustainability Network (REDE)—a new party founded by former senator and presidential hopeful Marina Silva—and signed by nearly 50 Congress members from seven different party benches. The ruling Workers' Party (PT) accounted for most of the signatures in absolute numbers, more than 30.

Their bid is based on a document from the Prosecutor-General's Office (PGR) confirming that Cunha and his family members have bank accounts in Switzerland and charges emerging from the Operation Car Wash corruption case that the lower house speaker allegedly took bribes in connection with Petrobras contracts. PSOL says it has gathered evidence against Cunha and enclosed about a hundred pages worth of information from PGR, plea bargain statements from Operation Car Wash, and news stories in its filing.

“It's crystal-clear that Eduardo Cunha has violated the Constitution and the Code of Ethics and Conduct of the Chamber of Deputies by using his position to gain unfair advantages,” said Deputy Chico Alencar, PSOL's leader in the Chamber of Deputies. According to the leader of the Sustainability Network, Alessandro Molon, Cunha's actions were inappropriate and disqualify him from retaining his position as house speaker.

Henrique Fontana, PSOL's deputy leader, accused opposition parties of trying to “make an impression” by speaking out for Cunha's removal while not signing the ouster petition. According to Fontana, the opposition is trying to protect the lower house speaker “as a bargain to get him to back an impeachment case against President Dilma Rousseff.”

Translated by Mayra Borges