Brazil political model has failed, says government's leader

The so-called coalitional presidentialism, adopted in Brazil, has totally failed, and the Workers' Party (PT) is largely responsible for its own damages. The evaluation was made by the government's leader in Senate, Humberto Costa, who defends a speedy overhaul of the current political system, in an interview to TV Brasil's Espaço Público.

"This model has totally failed," declared the senator, admitting that the party lost the opportunity to approve major changes when received broader support in Congress: "When our party was stronger, strongly supported by society and by Congress, we avoided making such change. "

According to Costa, electing a president without the majority in a Congress with dozens of parties results in political negotiations unusual in republics. "PT has easily conformed to the scene, and preferred to fit the ways of doing politics that existed instead of insisting on a new way, especially about undergoing a political overhaul," he said.

The senator also admitted that great part of the blame for the current political crisis shall be attached to his own party and to the government, because they have repeated political management mistakes.

"We did not need to be faced with this situation. We worked under favorable condition, with political dialogue, and we did not have to get into the situation we are placed in today, struggling to record 200 votes," said Costa. "We made many mistakes, we have failed to hold this ongoing dialogue, we erred in our relationship with National Congress, we erred in our relationship with the social base."

For the senator, however, the solution for the political crisis is not to impeach the president, nor call new elections, but to respect the outcome of the polls from 2014. Humberto Costa further stated that if Rousseff survives, both Rousseff and PT will have to change.

"Whatever will happen next Sunday, PT needs an overhaul, to change itself, to have a new way of doing politics," said Costa, referring to Rousseff's impeachment floor voting at the lower house, scheduled for Sunday (Apr. 17) evening.

Espaço Público is hosted by journalist Paulo Moreira Leite, with the participation of journalist Florestan Fernandes Júnior. Senator Humberto Costa's interview was also attended by jounalist Hylda Cavalcanti from Rede Brasil Atual.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta