Impeachment is the failure of Brazil’s political system
Published on plus55, by Gustavo Ribeiro, Aug 31, 2016.
The definitive removal of Dilma Rousseff from office means much more than the end of a political cycle.
Brazil restored its democracy in 1985, following 21 years of military dictatorship. Since then, we have directly elected four presidents, half of whom have been impeached. I don’t care which side of this political crisis you favor: it simply doesn’t spell a well-functioning political system. Supporters of Rousseff’s impeachment have argued that our institutions are working, but such things simply don’t occur in healthy democracies. If anything, the downfall of Dilma Rousseff should serve as an opportunity to reform Brazil’s system … //
… It’s hard to tell which system would work best in Brazil. A parliamentary one? Not so fast. Out of the 513 Brazilian representatives, 299 have had run-ins with the law. It is not exactly the most upstanding bunch to take control over the government’s executive branch. So how can we improve the current system?
The first solution would be to implement performance thresholds for parties to have parliamentary representation, as is the case in many European countries. In Brazil, any party, including the smaller ones that have never elected a single person to office, receive public funding every year. We should be able to limit that funding to the parties who appeal effectively to Brazilian voters. This method was actually approved by Congress back in the 1990s, during a rare moment when our congressmen decided to reform our system for the better. The decision, though, was overturned by the Supreme Court.
(GUSTAVO RIBEIRO is an award-winning journalist and has been published by both the Brazilian and the French media. He is plus55’s Content Director and one of its founders).
Related Links:
- Temer out! – Pro-Rousseff protests rage across Brazil denouncing impeachment (PHOTOS, 6 VIDEOS), on RT, Sept 1, 2016;
- RAW: Pro-Rousseff protests rage in Sao Paulo denouncing impeachment, 0.48 min, uploaded by RT Ruptly, Sept 1, 2016;
- Violentes manifestations après la destitution de Dilma Rousseff, 0.56 min, mise en ligne par euronews (en français);
- Dilma Rousseff addresses the Nation after impeachment, on plus55, Aug 31, 2016: the impeached President called her removal a “coup” …;
- Supporters of suspendend President Dilma Rousseff hold demonstration, on Economic Times India, Aug 31, 2016 (Slideshow);
- Dilma Rousseff Is Ousted as Brazil’s President in Impeachment Vote, on NYT, by Simon Romero, Aug 31, 2016: … the Senate voted 61 to 20 to convict Ms. Rousseff on charges of manipulating the federal budget in an effort to conceal the nation’s mounting economic problems … and her answer on video;
- Democracy is in the Dock’ on first day of impeachment trial – Dilma Rousseff, by Reuters, Aug 30, 2016;
- Demonstrators take to the streets across Brazil in support of suspended president Dilma Rousseff, on The Globe And Mail, Aug 29, 2016 (Photo Gallery);
- The impeachment trial is a circus, on plus55, by Gustavo Ribeiro, Aug 26, 2016: instead of actually trying suspended President Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian senators are interested in the spotlight;
- Brazil cannot be allowed to fall, on Dissident Voice, by Andre Vltchek, April 23, 2016: send tanks to the streets; park them in front of the Congress, Dilma! Restore order and restore democracy. Enough weeping! Latin America has wept incessantly, continuously, for years, decades and centuries. Its people robbed of everything since the days of Columbus, since Potosi. Tens of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions have been slaughtered here, in the last five centuries; first by the conquerors, then by their descendants and serfs, and finally by the Empire of Lies as well as the treasonous local ‘elites …;
Other Links:
Protests of National Anthem Restore My Faith in Humanity, on Lets Try Democracy.org, by David Swanson, Sept 1, 2016;
Activism’ and Its Consequences – Syrian Refugees Are Not Subjects for a Social Media Gallery, on ZNet, by Ramzy Baroud, Sept 1, 2016;
Public Relations Firm Claims to Have Ghost Written Thousands of Op-Eds in Major U.S. Newspapers, on Lets Try Democracy.org, by David Swanson, Sept 1, 2016;
Burkini Bans, New Atheism and State Worship – Noam Chomsky on Religion in Politics, on truthout, by C.J. Polychroniou and Lily Sage, Aug 31, 2016;
Making House – Notes on Domesticity: on NYT, by RAchel Cuskaug, Aug 31, 2016: A home is something both looked at and lived in, but that duality can be difficult to reconcile.