Brazil's Supreme Court suspends controversial salary increase
SAO PAULO, Brazil — Brazil’s Supreme Court yesterday suspended a controversial 91 percent congressional pay raise that lawmakers gave themselves last week, saying the vote to approve it was unconstitutional.A chorus of critics had called the raise excessive in a nation where tens of millions live in misery. On Monday, a woman angered by the raise stabbed a lawmaker in the back with a fish knife in northeastern Brazil.
Justices, acting on a request by four lawmakers opposed to the raise, ruled unanimously that the congressional decision last Thursday boosting pay was not legal because it was approved only by leaders of Brazil’s political parties.
Although a legislative decree previously allowed congressional pay raises with that kind of vote, the decree’s validity had expired. Legislators must now hold a floor vote in both houses of Congress to give themselves a raise, the Supreme Court said in its ruling.
The pay raise initially approved by political leaders boosted congressional salaries from 12,800 Brazilian reals ($5,800) per month to 24,500 reals ($11,300) a month.
The move caused an uproar across Latin America’s largest nation, including heavy criticism from Brazil’s Roman Catholic Church and social groups. The minimum wage in Brazil is currently 350 Brazilian reals ($159) and lawmakers are considering raising it to 367 reals ($167) — an increase of only five percent.
Lawmakers were expected to vote on their future pay within the next several days, though proposals were circulating to substantially reduce the proposed raise.
On Monday, a 45-year-old woman who said she was outraged with the pay raise stabbed conservative Rep. Antonio Carlos Magalhaes in the back as he left his congressional district office in the northeastern city of Salvador.
The woman, a retired public servant, remained under detention yesterday in a Salvador prison. Police also said she was upset that she was not getting government payments she said were supposed to be coming to her, and seemed to be suffering from mental problems.
