The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) will reopen on Tuesday the 14th the registration process for Rubens Bomtempo (PSB), the most-voted mayoral candidate in the 2020 municipal elections. The TSE plenary meeting ended the political impasse in which the city has been for almost a year.
If the TSE ministers decide in favor of Bomtempo, he will receive a mayor’s diploma and will take this position for a period that is usually a few days. If a majority of ministers refuse to register a candidate, the TSE decides before the Regional Electoral Court (TRE-RJ) to hold new elections. In this case, there is no predetermined date. The most recent case was that of Itatiaia, whose new elections were determined a few weeks ago. In the case of the City of Rio de Janeiro, elections were scheduled for March 2022.
In a week that could mark the final stage, there are still twists and turns in the case that could affect the process. Last week, former mayor and now deputy minister of urban affairs in the state government, Bernardo Rossi (LP), who lost to Bomtempo in the second round of the last election, petitioned TSE to become an assistant to the state electoral ministry. in Bomtempo’s admissibility and political rights judgments. According to Bernardo, who is the president of the LP in Petropolis, the measure is to demand an immediate decision on the process and the appointment of new municipal elections.
In a posting on social media, Bernardo says that he presented the ministers with “evidence that there is a conviction for administrative wrongfulness, so Bomtempo cannot take over as mayor.” Rossi did not elaborate on what data was presented to TSE and the Supreme Court (STJ).
Claiming plagiarism in a verdict that convicted him and stripped him of his political rights, Bomtempo demanded that the trial be canceled. The decision was made in the 4th civil court in August. Then the prosecutor’s office filed a court order and was able to overturn this decision of the Supreme Court (TJ-RJ).
Bomtempo’s defense argues that the decision to strip him of his political rights was almost “entirely” copied from another case involving Mayor Traiano de Moraes. A technical report submitted by the defense shows that 72% of the decision was plagiarized, even the name of another politician appears in the decision.
In November, Chief Justice of the High Court of Justice (STJ) Minister Humberto Martins overturned TJ-RJ’s decision, restoring Bomtempo’s political rights, saying “there are important indications that there was no conviction in support of the suspension of political rights. de Bomtempo and it is unreasonable to ignore the will of the people, expressed in the course of the voting. ”
After STJ overturned the court order, the Ministry of Public Elections took a further step and filed an internal complaint, which was upheld by Justice Daniela Brandao Ferreira of TJ-RJ. Following this appeal in state court, Minister Humberto Martins gave TJ-RJ 48 hours to explain the decisions and the process.
In the city, fans are in favor of defining a result, whatever it may be, since it has been almost a year since the city was ruled by the interim government. In January, Councilor and Mayor Hingo Hammes (DEM) was elected by councilors and took over as mayor until a court decides to hold new elections. Since then, the municipality has experienced several political upheavals. The decision is now up to TSE on Tuesday.
