| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Congresso nacional / National Congress |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Cámara dos Deputados / Chamber of Deputies |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Senado Federal / Federal Senate
|
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
1 October 2006 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all the seats in the Chamber of Deputies on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
On 1 October 2006, parliamentary elections were held for all 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and for 27 seats in the Senate, concurrently with presidential elections.
At the last elections in October 2002, no single party won a majority in either chamber. The leftist Workers' Party (PT) became the largest party in the Chamber of Deputies, closely followed by the Liberal Front Party (PFL), the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) and the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB).
The 2002 presidential elections were won by Mr. Luiz Inácio 'Lula' da Silva (PT). A broad alliance of political parties was formed in support of the government's programme, although the composition of this alliance varied during the legislature. In June 2005, the government was weakened by corruption scandals involving campaign donations by the PT to coalition partners. President da Silva, who had been elected on an anti-corruption platform, publicly apologized to his fellow citizens in August 2005.
In the 2006 election campaign, President da Silva argued that his government had helped millions of poor Brazilians to join the middle class, and insisted on the necessary co-existence of social and economic policy. The main opposition parties, the PSDB and the PFL, formed an electoral coalition. The PSDB camp presented more liberal policies that included the promotion of free trade agreements, in particular with the United States. The PFL did not field a presidential candidate, while the PSDB endorsed the former governor of Sao Paulo, Mr. Geraldo Alckmin, who pledged to enhance the country's economy by fighting corruption.
More than 5,000 candidates ran for the Chamber of Deputies, while 220 contested the senatorial seats. About 83 per cent of 125 million voters turned out at the polls.
The PMDB became the largest party in the Chamber of Deputies, winning 89 seats, followed by the PT with 83 and the PSDB with 66 seats. The PFL lost 33 seats, retaining 65. It nevertheless remained the largest party in the Senate, winning six seats in the 2006 partial elections, to control 18 seats in total.
President da Silva was re-elected with more than 60 per cent of the votes in a run-off election on 29 October. On 30 November, the PMDB leader, Mr. José Renan Vasconcelos Calheiros, announced that his party would support the President in his second term. President da Silva was sworn in for a second term on 2 January 2007.
The newly elected Congress held its first session on 1 February 2007 and elected Mr. Arlindo Chignalia Júnior (PT) as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, while Mr. José Renan Vasconcelos Calheiros (PMDB) was re-elected as Speaker of the Senate.
Note:
The Brazilian Progressive Party (PPB) was renamed the Progressive Party (PP) in 2003. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 1 October 2006 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
125'827'119
104'778'751 (83.27%)
11'593'921
93'184'830 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Workers' Party (PT) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Liberal Front Party (PFL) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Progressive Party (PP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Labour Party (PDT) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Liberal Party (PL) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Popular Socialist Party (PPS) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Labour Party (PTB) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Green Party (PV) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Communist Party of Brazil (PC do B) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Christian Social Party (PSC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Christian Labour Party (PTC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Party of National Mobilization (PMN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Humanist Party of Solidarity (PHS) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Party of the Reconstruction of the National Order (PRONA) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Labour Party of Brazil (PT do B) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Republican Party (PRB) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Party of the Nation's Retirees (PAN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) |
89
|
|
|
|
|
| Workers' Party (PT) |
83
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB) |
66
|
|
|
|
|
| Liberal Front Party (PFL) |
65
|
|
|
|
|
| Progressive Party (PP) |
41
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) |
27
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Labour Party (PDT) |
24
|
|
|
|
|
| Liberal Party (PL) |
23
|
|
|
|
|
| Popular Socialist Party (PPS) |
22
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Labour Party (PTB) |
22
|
|
|
|
|
| Green Party (PV) |
13
|
|
|
|
|
| Communist Party of Brazil (PC do B) |
13
|
|
|
|
|
| Christian Social Party (PSC) |
9
|
|
|
|
|
| Christian Labour Party (PTC) |
3
|
|
|
|
|
| Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL) |
3
|
|
|
|
|
| Party of National Mobilization (PMN) |
3
|
|
|
|
|
| Humanist Party of Solidarity (PHS) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Party of the Reconstruction of the National Order (PRONA) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Labour Party of Brazil (PT do B) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
| Brazilian Republican Party (PRB) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
| Party of the Nation's Retirees (PAN) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
468
45
8.77%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- http://www.tse.gov.br
- IPU Group (25.01.2007)
- Chamber of Deputies (01.01.2008) |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
