The government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) appointed as dean of the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) the candidate who occupied the third place in the list of three names sent to the Ministry of Education (MEC).
Professor Angelita Pereira de Lima, director of the Faculty of Information and Communication (FIC) and a researcher on gender and human rights, was appointed through publication in the Official Gazette on Tuesday (11).
Since the beginning of his term, Bolsonaro has already made dozens of arbitrary appointments, whether choosing candidates who did not obtain the majority of votes or even selecting “bionic” deans, who were not even on the list formulated by the institutions.
:: Institutions react to the arbitrary appointment of 19 deans ::
Before Bolsonaro came to power, the last time a first-place winner had been disregarded was in 1998, during the term of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB).
At UFG, the appointment caused revolt among the university community, which accuses the federal government of violating, once again, the university autonomy guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.
Reaction
The expectation was the nomination of the candidate with the highest number of votes, Professor Sandramara Matias Chaves, vice-rector and current acting dean. In a press conference held on Tuesday (11), she defended the inauguration of the candidate nominated by the MEC.
“Supporting Professor Angelita at this moment is supporting UFG. Of course, we have to be indignant and express ourselves about this regrettable fact of disrespect for the university’s autonomy. On the other hand, we need to think about the Institution”, he declared.
Former dean Edward Madureira also regretted the MEC’s undemocratic stance.
“It is revolting, it leaves us perplexed, astonished and outraged. We did everything absolutely within the law. But unfortunately we live with a remnant of the authoritarianism of the military dictatorship”, he said during the press conference.
:: Remember 7 times the Bolsonaro government mirrored itself in Brazil during the military dictatorship ::
In a joint note, organizations representing students, professors and technical-administrative employees repudiated the violation of university autonomy.
“Since the beginning of his term, the president has already chosen more than 20 deans who were not democratically elected. It is a huge setback against the university’s democracy, promoted by a government that daily reaffirms its authoritarian profile and puts risk the stability of the university environment”, says the statement also signed by the Association of Graduate Students of UFG, the National Association of Graduate Students (ANPG), the State Union of Students of Goiás (UEE-GO) and the National Union of Students (UNE).
The entities also scheduled an act in defense of UFG’s internal democracy for this Wednesday (12) in front of the rectory.
undemocratic management
Since the 1990s, public universities began to conduct internal electoral processes, calling on civil servants and students to democratically choose members of the university community to occupy management positions.
Although the 1988 Constitution guarantees autonomy to public universities, the legislation provides, since 1968, that the choice of the rector is the prerogative of the President of the Republic.
:: Bolsonaro government attacks autonomy of federal universities and institutes again ::
In 1995, a law enacted by then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso determined that the names to be considered for the position be part of the triple list sent to the MEC.
At the end of last year, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ruled that the federal government is not obliged to appoint the most voted dean, when analyzing an action proposed by the Green Party (PV).
Editing: Leandro Melito
.
