Parties split off from governing coalition
Carlos Lupi
Two parties in the governing coalition, PDT and PTB, announced Wednesday (Aug. 5) that they are withdrawing support for the government of President Dilma Rousseff and declared themselves independent in voting issues at the Chamber of Deputies. The Leader of the Democratic Labor Party (PDT), Deputy André Figueiredo, said his party is no longer joining the meetings of the governing coalition leaders.
He said the last straw leading to the decision was the recurring charges of “traitors” made by the government leadership. PDT voted contrary to government instruction on recent fiscal adjustment proposals.
“We can't take being called 'traitors' any more. We've never betrayed Leonel Brizola's banner,” Figueiredo said in a reference to the party's historical leader, now deceased. He said he has reported the party bench's decision to the Minister of Labor, fellow party member Manoel Dias, and to the party chairman, Carlos Lupi.
The leader of the Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), deputy Jovair Arantes, also announced that his bench decided to detach themselves from the governing coalition and “reserves the right to vote by their own judgment” at house sessions.
The leader of the government, Deputy José Guimarães of the Workers' Party (PT), said that in the case of PTB, the decision was talked out thoroughly. As for PDT, Guimarães said he only learned of the decision through the party leader's speech at the Chamber of Deputies. “We need to reform our coalition. Our direction now is to stay together. We should talk to the ministers in the party quotas,” the government leader said.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Parties split off from governing coalition
