Alerj becomes the stage for an early dispute for buffer government before Castro’s resignation
Even before the return of the parliamentary recess, scheduled only after Carnival, the backstage of the Rio Legislative Assembly (Alerj) is already experiencing an atmosphere of intense political turmoil. The approaching resignation of governor Cláudio Castro (PL), who intends to leave office to run for a seat in the Senate in April, has started the countdown to an indirect election that will define a buffer governor by the end of the year.
Different political groups began to move to influence the outcome of the dispute in Alerj and, above all, to try to make candidates considered favorites at the time unfeasible, such as those of Nicola Miccione, head of the Civil House, and Douglas Ruas, state secretary for Cities. Both are names linked to Castro’s political core and the PL.
Behind the scenes, the federal government’s Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs, André Ceciliano, who was once president of Alerj, has intensified calls and private meetings with state deputies. Ceciliano has signaled his interest in entering the race for the position, seeking support especially among left-wing parliamentarians, who have already expressed their willingness to vote in his name if his candidacy is confirmed.
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The former president of Alerj has also met frequently with deputy Chico Machado (SDD). According to sources close to the parliamentarian, Chico Machado would have even traveled to Teresópolis more than once to meet Bacellar, to articulate political movements around the succession at the Guanabara Palace and his return to the presidency of Alerj.
The ongoing strategy involves an attempt to convince Bacellar to resume activities in the Assembly and reverse his situation in the Federal Supreme Court (STF), in order to resume the presidency of the House before the indirect election takes place. The assessment of this group is that, in command of the Legislature, Bacellar would be able to lead the indirect election process for buffer governor and thus influence the candidacy of Ceciliano, with whom he is a close friend. This articulation has been seen by deputies as the formation of an informal ticket.
Despite the movement, Alerj interlocutors assess that the composition led by the PL remains more robust. The group working to consolidate a government candidacy has as its pillars the federal deputy Dr. Luizinho (PP), the state president of the PL, Altineu Côrtes, the mayor of Belford Roxo, Márcio Canella (União), Washington Reis and the acting president of Alerj, Guilherme Delaroli, in addition to Cláudio Castro himself.
This nucleus works to gather the necessary support and guarantee the victory of Nicola Miccione, the governor’s trusted name and the PL’s main bet, or Douglas Ruas, secretary of Cities, son of the mayor of São Gonçalo, Captain Nelson, and considered a political pupil of Altineu Côrtes.
The degree of anticipation of the articulations draws attention even among more experienced deputies. Before the official return of legislative work, many parliamentarians decided to postpone trips and commitments outside the state to maintain an intense schedule of meetings in their offices and informal meetings, in an attempt to map forces and influence the outcome of the succession.
The predominant reading in the House is that, although the formal process of the indirect election still depends on the official resignation of Cláudio Castro, the political game has already begun — and the dispute for the temporary command of the state government tends to intensify in the coming weeks.
