In the week that could be decisive for the gaming sector with the Working Group ending the report on the Regulatory Framework in Brazil, some evangelical leaders began to move again to try to stop the process. With the same allegations as always, they intend to vote in bloc against the project if it is put to a vote in the Plenary.
President of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front, federal deputy Cezinha de Madureira (PSD-SP) told to Metrópoles that "there is no possibility of agreement" to approve the regulatory framework that legalizes gaming in Brazil.
According to the congressman, despite the poll by the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), the evangelical bench “would never accept” vote in favor of regularizing games of chance in the country.
“I'm against any kind of agreement, because I'm against gaming. I am against this project and will vote against it. I will guide the bench to do the same. Both in the House and in the Senate, as the leader of the evangelical bench in Congress, I am also able to speak with senators. We are against gaming. And there was never any kind of agreement,” said Cezinha.
The front’s president also stated that this is a topic that "cannot be talked about." He stressed that Lira is free to guide the proposal, but warned that the bench has enough votes to “overthrow” the project.
As Metrópoles revealed, at a dinner two weeks ago, Lira would have sounded out evangelical congressmen about the possibility of collaborating with the construction of the text of the Regulatory Framework for Gaming in Brazil.
The project is being built in a working group, in an attempt to reach a consensus to vote on the proposal that has been in Congress for more than 30 years.
Despite the efforts, Lira heard that there is no chance for the evangelical front to collaborate on the text. And that if the project ends up in the plenary, the evangelical bench has “more than enough” strength to overturn the project.
The President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, has a problem on the table and he doesn't want to solve it. Centrão deputies want to approve the Regulatory Framework for Gaming. Parliamentarians and evangelical leaders, on the other hand, are against the project that could free up games of chance. Even Minister Damares has been working behind the scenes to defeat the text.
Ciro Nogueira demonstrated his dissatisfaction with Damares' behavior. In the opinion of the Chief of Staff, it is playing against the government's interests. This is because there are promises of billions in investments in Brazil if the project is approved.
But Bolsonaro warned Nogueira that he won't get involved in this matter. He wants his allies in the Centrão to reach a deal with the evangelical base. However, the government does not want to choose a side so as not to lose support for 2022, year of national elections.
“He was contacted by the Centrão and warned that he doesn't want to alienate either side. He doesn't care. He left the negotiations to his allies. Personally, he's not against it. He thinks each one chooses whether he wants to play or not. But you know that the rejection of evangelicals is very big. Even the first lady is not favorable,” explained a deputy close to Bolsonaro.
“And the Centrão goes to war. And evangelicals too. So it's something that could become the main issue of Congress, we just don't know when. Lira can take this vote to be done next year. And everything changes the scenario, right? Will deputies run the risk of being targeted by Silas Malafaia (Brazilian pastor and writer, leader of the Pentecostal ministry Victoria en Cristo), for example?”, added the congressman.
Fonte: GMB/Metrópoles
