Renan Calheiros announces the withdrawal of his candidacy for the presidency of the Senate | Politics

He made this announcement during the vote, which was held for the second time. At the first vote, the DROs noted that the ballot box contained 82 votes – the Senate has 81 senators.

In announcing the resignation of his candidacy, Renan said the process was not democratic and that he had been booed by the plenary. Exalted, he claimed that David – in reference to the opponent David Alcolumbre (DEM-AP) – was not David, but Goliath and that from that moment his rival was the president of the Senate.

"David is not David, David is Goliath, he is the new Speaker of the Senate and I withdraw my candidacy because I will not submit to this.", Said the senator, who was trying to elect the Speaker of the House for the fifth time.

"I leave the process to understand it in delegitimation," he said after leaving the plenary.

He complained to senators that during the first vote, they did not declare the vote but did so on Monday. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PSL-RJ), son of President Jair Bolsonaro, did not reveal the vote in the first vote. In the second, he announced a vote in Davi Alcolumbre (DEM-AP).

According to Renan, the pressure on everyone to open the ballot prevented him from receiving four votes he thought he could obtain from the PSDB headquarters. According to Renan, the toucans revealed a preference for the removal of "any possibility" to have the votes of José Serra (PSDB-SP) and Mara Gabrilli (PSDB-SP).

"It was advisable to reproduce the vote, they had already made the vote open for them and in the second vote, they asked the PSDB to open the vote to prevent the possibility of four votes in the party" , did he declare.

"And they also forced the President's own son to open the vote, that is to say, it was opened and the National Congress pbaded. It can not happen, democracy can not stand it, "he added.

Nine senators ran for the presidency of the House but, before Renan Calheiros, three others had already withdrawn: Alvaro Dias (Can-PR), Major Olímpio (PSL-SP) and Simone Tebet (MDB- MS). ), who competed as a sole candidate.

• Fernando Collor (Pour-AL)
• Reguffe (without partiality)
• Angelo Amin Coronel (PP-SC)

The confusion that reigns in the Senate presidential election is due to the stalemate resulting from the divergence between the number of senators in favor of open voting and those who have defended the secret ballot.

At Friday's meeting, a proposal to adopt the open vote was approved by 50 votes to two – 28 senators did not vote. Some of those who favored open voting supported David Alcolumbre's candidacy. The allies of Renan Calheiros defended the secret ballot. Facing the stalemate, the meeting was adjourned Friday night and should resume Saturday morning.