By Anthony Boadle and Maria Carolina Marcello
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s Congress holds leadership elections on Wednesday, with both chambers expected to re-elect leaders who have signalled a readiness to work with leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, which will be key for his minority government’s legislative agenda.
In the Senate, however, the vote could go down to the wire, with an ally of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro gaining on the chamber’s incumbent leader Rodrigo Pacheco.
An upset win by Rogerio Marinho, who was a member of Bolsonaro’s Cabinet, would be a dramatic setback for Lula and a sign of strength for the right-wing opposition.
Bolsonaro, who has not returned from Florida since his term ended on Jan. 1, spoke by telephone on Monday with a meeting of his party, the right-wing Liberal Party (PL), to back Marinho’s campaign for Senate president.
Control of either chamber by the opposition could hamper approval of Lula’s priorities, starting with temporary decrees he has signed that extend social welfare payments for poor families and reduce taxes on fuels.
Pacheco is still the favorite to become Senate president, with his allies expecting him to draw between 50 and 55 of the votes from the chamber’s 81 senators. Arko Advice political consultancy sees him winning by less, between 45 to 48 votes.
In the lower house, Speaker Arthur Lira of the center-right Popular Party (PP) is expected to win easily, having secured the support of Lula’s Workers Party and others in his center-left coalition, along with some of Bolsonaro’s allies.
Arko Advice analyst Cristiano Noronha estimates Lira will be re-elected with between 307 and 340 votes, needing the backing of only 257 of the chamber’s 513 members.
Lira himself had allied with Bolsonaro, but was quick to recognize Lula’s narrow election victory and congratulate him, starting a constructive dialogue during the presidential transition.
All legislation must pass through Lira’s desk to get started in Congress, including impeachment efforts, which Bolsonaro allies are already planning.
The voting starts in the Senate at 3:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) and at 4:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) in the lower house.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Maria Carolina Marcello; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
