Chief Prosecutor Tries To Rush Lula's Candidacy Review In Electoral Court

08/17/2018 - 11h57

Brazil's Chief prosecutor requested electoral judge Luís Roberto Barroso to notify former president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva's defense team that the period to present challenges to Lula's candidacy filing would be start this Thursday (16). This was a move intended to rush the candidacy's review by the Higher Electoral Court (TSE).

According to Chief Prosecutor Raquel Dodge, Lula's attorneys were able to view the court documents because they also challenged Barroso's appointment to review the filing.
Until Wednesday (15), it was expected that the challenges would be only considered valid after Brazil's Federal Register published Lula's candidacy filing, which should happen only on Friday (17). Nevertheless, Dodge challenged the candidacy mere hours after the filing.

On Thursday's evening, TSE's chief justice Rosa Weber, confirmed Barroso's appointment to review the proceedings, as well the documents presented by Lula's attorney.

PT's strategy, as agreed with Lula, is to keep confronting TSE, in order to strengthen the thesis that Lula is being politically persecuted. For PT's high brass, the political persecution angle will be essential to transfer Lula's voters to VP candidate Fernando Haddad, the former president's most likely replacement in the ticket.

PT officials will try to extend the deadlines as much as they can, but the attorneys were aware that the review would happen in record time.

Translated by NATASHA MADOV

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