DF Chamber approves rule that allows new re-election of Wellington Luiz to preside over the House

The Legislative Chamber of the Federal District (CLDF) approved in a second round, this Tuesday (10), the proposed amendment to the DF Organic Law that changes the rules for the re-election of members of the House's Board of Directors.

The proposal received 15 votes in favor and one against, in a nominal vote.

The text should be promulgated in the coming days by the DF Chamber itself, without analysis by the government.

In practice, the change paves the way for the current president of the CLDF, Wellington Luiz (MDB), to compete again for command of the Chamber in the next legislature, which begins in 2027.

He has presided over the House since 2023 and has already been re-elected for the 2025-2026 biennium.

To be approved, the proposal needed at least 15 votes in favor in each of the two rounds. In the first round, held on October 27, the text had received 17 votes in favor and six against.

After the vote, the president of the CLDF, Wellington Luiz (MDB), stated that the change does not guarantee that he will be elected again to command the House. According to the deputy, there are still legal issues to be discussed.

"This approval today does not guarantee the election of any parliamentarian, including mine. I still have legal issues to discuss and I am aware of that. I don't even know if I will be alive, let alone be sure that we will compete. What needs to be between us is respect", said Wellington Luiz.

He also defended that the approved change corrects what he classified as a “mistake” in the rules for the election of the Board of Directors.

"What we did here was correct a mistake. There was no questioning, even in my second election. I spoke a lot with the Judiciary in relation to this situation and it was said that the correct way is what is being done now", signaled the president of the CLDF.

Understand

Under the current rule:

the term of office of the members of the Board of Directors is two years;

There can be a single re-election, either in the same legislature (within the deputy's term) or in the next (between one term and another).

The proposed bill changes this section, and prohibits re-election within the same legislature.

In other words: whoever is elected to the Board of Directors in 2027, for example, cannot be re-elected for the same position in 2029.

Whoever is elected to the Board of Directors in 2029, according to the new law, could compete for the same position in 2031 (if re-elected district deputy) – since in 2031, a new legislature also begins.

The term of office of the members of the CLDF Board of Directors is two years, while each legislature lasts four years. Therefore, there are two elections for the Board of Directors within the same legislature.

With the approval of the text, however, Wellington Luiz (MDB) will be the biggest beneficiary, as he was re-elected based on the current rule – and, with the change in the law, he could receive a third term based on the new rule.

"In practice, the text resumes the original rule of the Organic Law that prohibited re-election within the same legislature, as stated in the Federal Constitution. In a new legislature, there is no impediment, as it is a new composition of the Legislative House", highlights the justification of the project.

The document also cites a decision by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) according to which the ban on re-election to the Congressional Board of Directors does not apply when a new legislature begins.