The dispute for the vacancy left by former councilor Domingos Brazão at the Court of Accounts of the State of Rio de Janeiro (TCE-RJ) entered a new chapter after a judicial decision interrupted a process that was moving at an accelerated pace. Brazão's removal, a councilor removed under suspicion of involvement with militia members, occurred on July 15, the date from which the vacancy was opened.
The process for choosing the new councilor, which was being conducted quickly by the Legislative Assembly of Rio (Alerj), was halted by a precautionary measure granted by Judge Fernando Marques de Campos Cabral Filho, from the 1st Chamber of Public Law of the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro (TJRJ). The decision suspended the express rite approved by the legislative house until the merits of the action are analyzed.
In practice, the judicial measure froze the election for one of the most powerful seats in the state and intensified the race for the position. The dispute involves state deputies, mayors and political groups seeking to influence the composition of the TCE-RJ, the court responsible for auditing state public accounts.
The case exposes an intense backstage battle at Alerj, with multiple political interests competing for the nomination to the lifetime position on the accounts court. The suspension of the process opens space for different groups to double their negotiations while the judicial decision is not definitively reviewed.
