The festival of explicit elitism has restarted, performed by the usual ones, those self-professed superior masters of royal Brazil. It didn’t take more than 24 hours for the elites, through their media spokespeople, to begin to apply on Severino Cavalcanti (House of Representative’s recently elected Speaker) what they had attempted but failed on former President Itamar Franco.

They hope to ridicule, vilify, transform the new Speaker into a caricature figure, exposed to public mockery. They can’t accept an unequal in a position of power. It took them a lot to digest Lula, whom they now butter up, but for the simple reason that he is the President and possesses the power to fulfill all their desires, as well as, if he so wished, cut off all their privileges and perks.

Severino Cavalcanti is being called a redneck, naïve, conservative, and reactionary, condemned by his past loyalty toward the military regime. Accused even for the fact that his wife, D. Amélia, 73 years old, sat at the presiding table next to him during a House session.

Of course Severino made mistakes in his 40 years of public service, but what about those who now are crucifying him? With rare exceptions, who hasn’t found comfort under the Castrensial regime? Among the dead, it’s good to remember Teotônio Vilela, Milton Campos, Daniel Krieger, Adaucto Lúcio Cardoso, Carlos Lacerda, Aliomar Baleeiro, Pedro Aleixo, Tancredo Neves, and even Ulisses Guimarães. Among the living … better not say anything.

They forget that Severino didn’t get elected for having met with the Pope, speaking against abortion, against same sex union, against nudity and pornography on television. He became House Speaker for surging against the arrogance and authoritarian government of the Workers Party.

For having cried out enough of interim measures, of constant humiliation of representatives by ministers, and of a technocratic dictatorship engaged in raising taxes and dictating economic courses that ignore the needs of workers and businesses.

The campaign to demoralize another official without a university degree should not go forward, unless he offers motives, a possibility which so far has been refuted by pronouncements in defense of an independent Legislative.

Ministries Rejected

Message from Progressist Party leader in the House, Representative José Janene, to Cabinet Chief José Dirceu: “We are grateful but do not want any ministries, if Lula is inclined to assigning us one.”

The decision is stunning, even now when the Progressist Party has the House Speaker, a post much more important than a second class ministry. It seems evident that the message sent to José Dirceu was not a simple opinion issued by the new leader, but a consensus result among officials at the Progressist Party, with emphasis to Representative Severino Cavalcanti’s participation.

There is logic in the refusal, in view of the political weight gain of the party, as well as the potential wear and tear that could come out from a mediocre performance of the administration, from now on.

The new House Speaker denies having settled with PSDB (Party of the Social Democracy of Brazil) on endorsing Fernando Henrique’s presidential run in next year’s elections.

Severino is a party man, incapable of going against party leaders’ decisions, so much that before making his candidacy official he requested a meeting of party National Directors, presented his reasons and was commended for the courage to run a race previously seen as a Workers Party victory.

The Progressist Party has not defined itself, nor will it any time soon, as to the presidential succession; however, since it plays a part in the government’s parliamentary base, the premise is that it will endorse Lula’s re-election. In this case, the premise, no, the conclusion…

Resolve

Recently, still under the echoes of his victory, Severino Cavalcanti informed his colleagues that he will not change one line from his statements in defense of an independent House. He explained by saying that all hearing requests from representatives of any party to ministers can be made through the House Speaker, with his approval.

And if the requests aren’t answered, he will be forced to take similar stance, when requests come from ministers and the Planalto (the President’s official quarters). “If they don’t answer ours, we won’t answer theirs,” will be the motto.

Now surface cases that representatives omitted, out of decency or strategy. It took the Health Minister eight months, for example, to respond to a hearing request from a congressman.

They still complain about Minister Ciro Gomes, who on December 31 canceled contracts already under way of projects in rural areas, originated in Congress. At this rate, things will change in the relationship House/Government. It will be up to Lula, more than the ministers, to conduct changes.

Carlos Chagas writes for the Rio's daily Tribuna da Imprensa and is a representative of the Brazilian Press Association, in Brasília. He welcomes your comments at carloschagas@hotmail.com.

Translated from the Portuguese by Eduardo Assumpção de Queiroz. He is a freelance translator, with a degree in Business and almost 20 years of experience working in the fields of economics, communications, social and political sciences, and sports. He lives in São Paulo, Brazil. His email: eaqus@terra.com.br.

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