RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s military and civilian chiefs are engaged in a tough, secret debate on how much controlled democracy they will cede to the Brazilian voter.

Currently President Artur da Costa e Silva’s military-backed government rules Latin America’s largest nation by decree since the President closed down Congress during a sweeping purge last December. But the Marshal and his top advisers have spent the past month working out plans to edge Brazil back to democratic rule.

Costa e Silva is generally believed to back a reopening of Congress this month and reforms of the constitution which will give the voter more influence over the government. But he is against his drastic powers to intervene unilaterally at any time through decrees known here as “institutional acts”.

There is also no question of allowing the hundreds of old-time politicians including ex-Presidents Juscelino Kubitschek and Janio Quadros, deprived of their political rights for ten years, to stage comebacks. The debate inside the Government, according to usually reliable reports, centres on how the next President and State Governors will be elected and whether Congress ought to be reconvened. — Agency

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.