The Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that relaxes penalties applied to political parties and alters rules regarding accountability, electoral fines, and the use of party funds. The proposal received broad support in the plenary and now goes to the Federal Senate for analysis.
Among the main changes, the text establishes a ceiling of R$ 30 for fines resulting from the disapproval of party accounts and authorizes the installment payment of party debts over up to 15 years. The proposal also prevents the seizure, blocking, or retention of resources from the Party Fund and the Special Campaign Financing Fund (FEFC), known as the electoral fund.
Another approved measure stipulates that sanctions applied to municipal, state, or district party directorates cannot automatically affect the national leadership of the parties. This prevents the Electoral Court from deducting funds allocated to national executive bodies to settle debts of lower-level party structures.
Suspension of transfers prohibited.
The bill also stipulates that the payment of fines and amounts deemed irregular will only begin after the final judgment of the cases and provided that it does not coincide with an election year. Furthermore, the suspension of transfers from party and electoral funds is prohibited during the semester of the elections.
Another point included in the proposal allows parties to use resources from the Party Fund to settle charges arising from default, such as interest, monetary correction and late payment penalties, including those relating to previous fiscal years.
The text also alters rules related to proving the activities of party leaders. According to the new wording, simply registering the position with the Electoral Court may be considered sufficient to prove the provision of services, dispensing with additional documentation. This passage has generated criticism from opposition parliamentarians and entities that advocate for greater rigor in the auditing of party accounts.
Symbolic vote
The vote was symbolic, with no official record of the deputies' votes. The approval generated questions from parliamentarians opposed to the proposal, who argue that the changes reduce control and transparency mechanisms over public funds allocated to political parties.
In addition to the financial changes, the proposal opens the door for the automated sending of electoral messages by parties and candidates to previously registered voters, a topic that has also sparked debates about privacy and political communication during election campaigns.
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