Government members react and meet with Alcolumbre to reverse the INSS CPMI vote

Government members at the INSS CPMI allege fraud and will file this Thursday (26) the annulment of the vote by the commission that approved requests to break the confidentiality of Fábio Luís da Silva, known as Lulinha, and Banco Master.

Shortly after the announcement of the result given by the president of the commission, senator Carlos Viana (Podemos-MG), there was confusion in the collegiate and the CPI session was interrupted. Then, government supporters met with the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), at the Official Residence, asking for the result to be reversed.

Those present at the meeting said that Alcolumbre listened to the government’s allegations institutionally and did not issue positions. He will also hear the opposition’s position before carrying out an analysis in partnership with the Senate’s lawyers.

In a statement, the Senate presidency’s office said that “a group of parliamentarians has now met with President Davi Alcolumbre to inform him that they believe there was fraud in the vote and that they will appeal to the presidency to have it suspended and annulled”. “It is the senators’ right to appeal to the presidency and, when the request arrives, the president will analyze whether it is appropriate or not,” he added.

The government group claims that, at the time of the vote, carried out symbolically, 21 congress members were present. In the visual count it is possible to see that 14 parliamentarians express their position for rejection. Viana, on the other hand, said that of the members who took a stand, only seven would be incumbents and would count as valid votes, which would be insufficient to give victory to the government supporters.

Allies of the Lula government expressed dissatisfaction and confusion in the commission room was widespread, with punches and shoves.

“Viana is, in my opinion, committing a flagrant crime. He rigged (the vote). So, we are going to take action, because it is a fraud, it crossed all limits”, said senator Soraya Thronicke (PSB-MS), who participated in the meeting.

Within the government, the expectation is that Alcolumbre can comment as quickly as possible, before the approved breach requests reach the CPI. These parliamentarians say that the documents would only arrive in two or three weeks – therefore, it would be enough time to block the measure.

In an interview with CNN Brazilthe leader of the government in the Senate, Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), stated that he hopes that the president of the CPI will put the government bench’s requests to a vote.

“We are going to appeal to his (Viana) decision and wait for him to put to vote the requirements that we proposed, which until today he has not put forward”, he said, who was at the morning session of the collegiate this Thursday. Wagner’s presence at the CPI is unusual.

The PT member argues that Carlos Viana only issues requests favorable to the opposition and that, at the time of the vote on Lulinha, the government had a majority. “We had 14 members voting with us, against seven of them”, he argued.

Wagner also said that the problem is not Lulinha giving testimony, but the lack of balance in CPMI’s work. “He can give evidence, I want to know why (Master’s owner, Daniel) Vorcaro’s brother-in-law can’t give evidence? The one who was caught at the airport trying to go abroad. If there is a balance, we have no problem, he can give his statement”, he said.

The senator defended Lulinha and said that President Lula’s son has a “modest” standard of living. “I know him, his wife and children a lot, and I know the, let’s say, quite modest standard of the family,” he stated.