Recall votes.
The Chamber of Deputies this month approved a constitutional revision allowing for the introduction of a new law subjecting politicians at all levels to possible ‘recall’ votes. Now ratified by the required 17 out of 32 state assemblies, the move is the most sweeping and ambitious recall experiment yet attempted anywhere. It is also especially risky, a fact that seems lost on its authors.
While the bill explicitly rules out re-election, a defeated recall vote could be used as a platform to argue for just that.
Some state administrations will drag their heels in modifying state constitutions to implement the law, shielding themselves from recall.
Local recall votes could give organised crime groups another route by which to affect politics in their zones of influence.
