BRASiLIA: Freshly reelected Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s attempt to boost grassroots political participation via “popular councils” suffered a blow when Congress rejected her proposal yesterday night.
Having scored a narrow win Sunday over Social Democrat Aecio Neves, Rousseff wants to expand voters’ participation in the democratic process, in a bid to address their frustration with shoddy public services and corruption.
Rousseff’s allies have a solid majority in the new Congress but, voting by a show of hands, lawmakers still threw out a proposal designed to bolster “dialogue” between lawmakers and the electorate.
“The opposition obtained support from (presidential) coalition parties, such as the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB)” in voting down Rousseff’s plan, the official Congressional news agency reported.
Rousseff’s Vice President Michel Temer and several ministers come from the PMDB. Although the party is one of the main components of the governing coalition, it has a history of taking an independent line.
The senate will now have to determine whether to overrule the lower house and revive the proposal.
Rousseff came up with the proposal as a means to placate voters after more than a million joined street protests last year, affording them the chance to be consulted over government policy.
AFP
