The atmosphere heated up in the final stretch of the dispute for the leadership of the Federal District Section of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB-DF). In a decision issued in the early hours of this Saturday (11/16), the Electoral Commission of the OAB-DF imposed a fine of 100 annual fees (R$ 80 thousand) on the presidential candidate Cleber Lopes, from Chapa 10 – Ordem com + Voz .
Before the fine was applied, the board ordered Cleber to exclude all publications with the panel’s own calculations that supported a promise to reinstate the OAB-DF annual fee for lawyers with up to five years of registration. The amparo, which responds to the request of Chapa 01 – OAB para Todos, also orders the candidate to publish a retraction, until 10:20 p.m. the same night.
After the deadline set by the Electoral Commission had passed, the rapporteur of the case, lawyer Gabriela Guimarães Peixoto, stated that Cleber deleted the publication on the subject, but failed to comply with the right of reply, “ignoring the decision of the Electoral Commission.”
In the event of non-compliance, the rapporteur imposed a fine of 100 annual fees (R$ 80 thousand), which must be reapplied each time the candidate does not publish the retraction. Gabriela’s decision was issued at 11:57 p.m. on Friday (11/15).
“Finally, I note that obstinacy or recidivism may give rise to the penalty of refusal to register the ticket, provided for in §1 of art. 20 of the same provision,” stated the rapporteur.
On social media, Cleber posted a video following the Electoral Commission’s decision in which he reaffirmed his promise to eliminate the annual fee. “Those who attack us say that it cannot be done, it is because they do not accept that we do something that they did not have the courage to do in six years,” he stated.
In the final days of the election campaign, the candidate stated that, if elected, he will not charge annual OAB-DF fees to lawyers who are registered with the OAB-DF for up to 5 years. Cleber also says that, if elected, he will give a 25% discount on the current annual fee to lawyers with up to 10 years of registration with the entity.
Cleber recorded a term of commitment, containing the promises, in the 2nd Office of Sobradinho, on Thursday night (11/14). Then, the campaign events ended with the vice presidential candidate, Gisele Reis, and the presence of 2,000 lawyers, according to the organization.
Choice
The OAB-DF election will be this Sunday (11/17), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in a 100% virtual format. The leadership of the body that represents 54,000 active lawyers in the country’s capital is in dispute. The OAB-DF has an annual budget of approximately R$ 40 million.
The candidates are: Cleber Lopes, from Chapa 10 – Ordem com + Voz; Cris Damasceno, from Chapa 33 – Innovate the Order; Karol Guimarães, from Chapa 99 – The OAB that I need; Everardo Gueiros, Vevé, from Chapa 20 – Courage to Change; and Paulo Maurício, Poli, from Chapa 01 – OAB for All.
