By Sergio Duran
Carlos Gaguim, the former governor of Tocantins state, and two federal representatives have brought a case to the Supreme Electoral Court against current the current governor and vice-governor, Siqueira Campos and João Oliveira, respectively. Gaguim, who was defeated in the October elections, has charged the current administration with vote-buying and media, political, and economic abuse, Terra reports.
Last year, Ganguim himself was involved in a censorship scandal after he won a court case baring 84 media outlets in his state from publishing or broadcasting news about allegations that he was involved in organized crime. (See other rulings that have prevented Brazilian media outlets from publishing or broadcasting news during the 2010 elections on Journalism in the Americas' "Map of Electoral Censorship in Brazil.")
Now, the former governor is claiming that the vote difference between he and Campos was minimal and that therefore “the committed abuses were fundamental to the results.” Among the charges, Ganguim alleges that TV Girassol broadcast illegal electoral propaganda and that Jornal Evangélico do Tocantins defamed him and praised Campos.
If the court rules against Campos, he could be removed from office.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
