Brazil’s Senate has completed its third debate session on a constitutional amendment that would end the six-days-on, one-day-off work schedule. The government wants a faster vote, while the opposition is seeking to postpone it until after the elections.
The Thursday session had 52 senators present, mostly from the governing coalition, while opposition attendance remained low for a third straight day. Senator Paulo Paim was the only lawmaker to speak. Proceedings opened at about 4:30 p.m. and ended close to 5 p.m.
Debate is due to resume next week with the final two sessions before a first-round vote. Senate President Davi Alcolumbre said he had not received a formal request from the government bloc to accelerate the process. He said 54 signatures are needed, while noting that similar requests have previously been filed with fewer.
The government is considering a special calendar to shorten the process. Senate rules call for five debate sessions before the first vote and three before the second, with five business days between them. The rules also allow both votes to be held in the same session.
Government leader Teresa Leitão said the administration would wait for the right moment to submit a request. She is collecting signatures but did not disclose how many she has. The opposition, led by the PL, is trying to push the vote until after the election runoff.
Opposition leader Rogério Marinho, who also coordinates Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign, said on Wednesday that a matter of such importance should not be decided during the election period. He called the timing opportunistic and accused President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of being desperate to reconnect with voters.