Brazzil
Politics
November 2002
If we consider the votes received by the 20 indigenous candidates, a little over 13,000 altogether, we see that they represent only a small percentage of the country's indigenous voters, who total about 200,000. This could lead us to the conclusion that the "ethnic vote" continues to be more a debate and an aspiration than a reality. If we try to identify the reason of the poor performance of indigenous candidates, we see that it was caused by various factors. Among them, special mention should be made of the party policy historically adopted in indigenous villages, the high cost of the campaigns, disbelief in the party policy, and the lack of a true understanding of the space for the exercise of power in the non-indigenous society.
Despite this scenario, one can notice a greater interest and a higher awareness on the part of the indigenous movement of the importance of its participation in the country's political life. In 1998, we only had 14 indigenous candidates. In these elections, that number grew to 20. This number, although not very high in itself, reveals the trend to face the challenge of the ballot boxes as a means to further the indigenous cause and ensure the rights of indigenous people.
The present electoral moment and the results of the elections should show to all the citizens of this country, particularly to its rulers, that the relations between indigenous peoples, the State and the national society should be urgently reviewed, so as to ensure their participation in the national life under rules and through channels of their own. That is, as in other countries, they should be able to have a differentiated participation in legislative circles.
If, on the one hand, no indigenous person was elected, the indigenous candidates of left-wing parties won most of the votes (72 percent) and most indigenous people voted for candidates who want to see a change in the policies now in force. In the state of Acre, with the reelection of senator Marina Silva, her alternate Antônio Ferreira da Silva, a member of the Apurinã people, will continue to play a role in the political scenario.
The chart below shows the indigenous candidates and the votes they got (source: Cimi and High Electoral Court).
Indigenous candidates for the position of House Representative:
Name UF* People Party N. Votes Amanuá Seus MT Kamayurá PMDB 1504 Evilasio Pereira da Silva PE Fulni-ô PPS 487 José Adalberto Silva RR Macuxi PC do B 2291 Total votes: 4282 * Unit of the Federation
Indigenous candidates for the position of State Representative:
Name UF* People Party N. Votes José Osair Sales (Siã) AC Kaxinawá PV 742 Mario Karipuna AP Karipuna PSB 1977 Francisco de Oliveira Lima DF Tabajara PSL 85 José Alírio Gomes Índio MG Aranã PMDB 396 Marta da Silva Vito MS Guarani-Kaiowá PT 1462 Mariano Justino Marcos Terena MS Terena PST 237 Laércio Marques Pereira MS Terena PV 116 Lúcio Paiva Flores MT Terena PT 779 Tapiet Kayapó PA Kayapó PSB 309 Almir Narayamoga Suruí RO Suruí PV 577 Clóvis Ambrósio RR Wapixana PT 269 José França Miguel RR Makuxi PRTB 273 Gilberto Pedrosa Lima RR Makuxi PSD 37 Rodrigo Batista Pint RR Makuxi PFL 341 Jonas de Souza Marcolino RR Makuxi PFL 703 Sebastião Bento da Silva RR Wapixana PFL 143 Gabriel Poti SC Guarani PPS 643 Total votes: 9089 * Unit of the Federation