Scandal hearings transfix Brazil

A money-for-votes scandal degenerated Wednesday into a shouting match between senators during televised hearings with a national audience that rivals Brazil's popular soap operas.

The scandal has halted President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's legislative agenda, forced the resignation of his chief of staff and hurt his prospects for re-election next year. It also has tarnished the reputation of his Workers Party, long known as a bastion of political ethics.

But important questions have yet to be answered: Who was bribed? Where's the evidence? And perhaps the most basic - did the payoffs really occur?

Congressional hearings that began this week in the capital, Brasilia, are supposed to sort all that out. Streets have been deserted during high points of the sessions, with Brazilians glued to their television sets, much as they are when the national soccer team plays.

"It's an important moment for Brazil," said Ivanilde Castro, an accountant in Rio who said she has been watching the hearings during office breaks and at home. "Corruption has spread, and it's hard to remove because it is in all the sectors of government."

The accusations have forced the resignation of da Silva's chief of staff, Jose Dirceu, replaced Tuesday by Mines and Energy Minister Dilma Rousseff, an economist and former leftist guerrilla. Few thought Rousseff's appointment would be enough.

"This situation may drag on longer than anybody would expect," said Alexandre Barros, a political analyst in Brasilia. "We all know how it started. We don't know how it will end."

The basic accusations are that the Worker's Party paid off members of its coalition in Congress and illegally financed their campaigns in exchange for help in passing legislation.

Critics say the scandal underscores an inherent weakness in Brazilian politics: Election winners seldom have a majority in Congress and must get support beyond party ranks, often from rivals.

One of the coalition members was the Brazilian Labor Party, known by its Portuguese acronym PTB.

One illustrious member was Roberto Jefferson, the congressman who went public with the bribery accusations.

He is also known as a quirky figure, and he is often heard singing opera at the top of his lungs in his Brasilia apartment.

When da Silva was elected in 2002, Jefferson's party pledged its political support, receiving in return political plums, including control of some state-run agencies.

The current scandal goes far beyond the exchange of political favors. It began when a PTB member serving as a top executive of the postal service was filmed pocketing a payoff of $1,600. It was unclear what the payoff was for, but the man could be heard on the tape saying he had the support of Jefferson.

Days later, Jefferson tried to absolve himself in an interview with a Brazilian newspaper, counterattacking by denouncing a vote-buying scheme he said was organized by Dirceu. Jefferson did not say whether he had any role in the post office bribery.

Jefferson has repeatedly said da Silva was not involved in the scandal. Analysts say that if that is true, both the president and his country will probably emerge unscathed.

"As long as da Silva is not touched, the economy will follow its path," Barros said.

(Published: Chicago Tribune News, June 22, 2005)
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