TSE decides to hunt party vacancy for gender quota fraud in BH

The plenary of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) unanimously decided to revoke the PRTB’s only seat in the Belo Horizonte City Council. The party was convicted of gender quota fraud in the 2020 municipal election. In that vote, the only councilor elected by the PRTB in the capital of Minas Gerais was Nikolas Ferreira, with the second highest vote. He is now in the PL, the party for which he was elected federal deputy in 2022. As a result, the alternate, Uner Augusto, loses his position. With the decision, the TSE responded to an appeal made by PSOL and reversed the understanding of the Regional Electoral Court of Minas Gerais (TRE-MG), which had not recognized the fraud. The decision of the superior court was taken in the virtual plenary, in session closed last Friday (31). In 2020, the PRTB had at least six candidates with inexpressive votes, of six votes or less. One of them even voted for herself, which caught the attention of the Electoral Public Ministry (MPE). As stated in the process, some even campaigned for another candidate. Such indications led the TSE to recognize the fraud. The TSE’s decision came after the Federal Supreme Court (STF) decided, last week, to maintain the loss of any party mandate in case of gender quota fraud, even if the impeached parties did not agree or participate in the fraud. Agência Brasil sent an email to Uner Augusto’s office to ask for comment. There was no response until the report was published. To Minas Gerais newspapers, the councilor credited the TSE’s decision to persecution from the left and said he will appeal to the Federal Supreme Court (STF). On social media, he did not mention the case.

Agência Brasil