Brazil: Information about the 2000 mayoral elections in Orizania, Minas Gerais State: Allegations of corruption or fraud and whether the elections were marked by violence
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 28 October 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BRA39728.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Brazil: Information about the 2000 mayoral elections in Orizania, Minas Gerais State: Allegations of corruption or fraud and whether the elections were marked by violence, 28 October 2002, BRA39728.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4d62e.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No information could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate regarding violence, corruption or fraud in the mayoral elections in the city of Orizania, Minas Gerais state. However, included below is general information about political corruption in Brazil during the time of the 2000 municipal elections.
Both an overview published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and an article in The Economist describe municipal elections in Brazil as being shaped by local alliances and personalities (CSIS 20 Feb. 2001; The Economist 7 Oct. 2000). After the first round of the 2000 mayoral elections, The Economist reported the following:
for the first time, mayors were allowed to run for re-election and many duly won a second term, suggesting that many of the 93 m[illion] Brazilians who voted were satisfied with their local government. Reports of violence and charges of fraud were less common than in the past (7 Oct. 2000).
However, according to a 12 April 2000 Washington Post article, Brazil's local elections remain wrought with violence and corruption:
In the past decade, 52 Brazilian mayors have been assassinated, including three in the past six months, two in the past 10 days. A half-dozen mayors have been slain in both Bahia and Sao Paulo states in the past 10 years. In the northeastern state of Alagoas, four mayors have been killed since 1990, compelling politicians to protect themselves with suffocating security and bulletproof vests. In the same period in Piaui state, also in the northeast, seven mayors have been slain.
Now, with municipal elections just a couple of months away, analysts say the country may be about to enter an especially bloody season of political violence because mayors--for the first time--can run for consecutive terms. Municipal political campaigns have become increasingly hostile since democracy was restored in Brazil in 1985. Since then, the government has moved to expand the autonomy of cities and towns, which has given mayors control of thousands of dollars with little oversight or accountability.
... Many of the slain mayors were killed either because they were corrupt or because they were attempting, often against desperate odds, to expose and uproot corruption.
A synopsis of the October elections written by two members of the Workers' Party, states that:
The question of ethics and corruption was another basic factor. Among the qualities of the future mayor, being honest was a basic demand. The fact that corruption means fewer resources for social investment was understood by the people to an unexpected extent. The numerous scandals involving mayors and municipal councillors, with a special mention for the Pitta administration in Sao Paulo, have given a national dimension to this type of problem (International Viewpoint Feb. 2001).
Law no. 9840/99 was introduced in Brazil in September 1999 in an attempt to curb electoral corruption (Le Monde Diplomatique Sept. 2000). This law allows electoral courts to automatically disqualify candidates who are found guilty of vote buying (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 20 February 2001. William Perry. "Brazil Alert: From the Municipal Elections of 2000 to the Presidential Succession in 2002." International Viewpoint. February 2001. Helena Heloisa and Beto Bastos. "Brazil - Victory for PT in Municipal Elections." Le Monde Diplomatique. September 2000. Chico Whitaker. "Brazil's Free Elections." The Economist. 7 October 2000. "Locally Left." (NEXIS)
Washington Post. 12 April 2000. Stephen Buckley. "Brazil's Political Climate Heated by Gunfire." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
LEXIS/NEXIS
Internet sites, including:
Amnesty International (AI)
ElectionWorld
Human Rights Watch (HRW) (2000-2001)
InfoBrazil
Latin American Press (Oct. 2000)
Latin American Regional Report: Brazil (Oct.-Nov. 2000)
Latin American Weekly Report (Oct. 2000)
Political Database of the Americas
Superior Electoral Tribunal
Washington Post
Weekly News Update on the Americas (Oct. 2000)
World News Connection (WNC)
