Fidelity to the Party: A Marriage of Interests?

Abstract

Due to Resolution 22.610 of the 25th October 2007 by the High Election Court, a set of transformations has emerged under the heading of fidelity to the party. Infidelity is punished, except where change in the party has the justifications listed in the above-mentioned resolution. If this does not occur, the parliamentarian loses his seat for which he was elected. Since incumbency belongs to the political party and to preserve the trust given to the ballot, the institute of political party fidelity was recovered to eliminate the ideological and party crisis which exists within the context of abundant political parties. With references to the 1967 Federal Constitution and instigated by Consultation Demands 1398 and 1407, the Brazilian Election Court regulated party representation written in the Constitution and strengthened the party-members binomial.