Brazil’s Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal) (STF), acting on a suit brought by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), voted, Wednesday, March 22, 9 to 2 to uphold the principle of "verticalization" in this year’s general elections which take place in October.
"Verticalization" means that political parties will have to maintain the same alliances at national and state levels in the elections.
In February the Congress approved a bill that overturned the principle of verticalization, which would have made it possible for a kind of electoral free-for-all to take place between now and the October elections.
That prompted the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) to file its suit in the Supreme Court based on the constitutional prohibition of changes in election rules in the same year the elections are to take place.
ABr