Statute vote fuels debate on Stabile’s reelection at Corinthians | OneFootball

The political atmosphere at Parque São Jorge remains tense on the eve of the vote on the Statute reform project, which will be submitted to the Council's deliberation next Monday (9). At the center of the debate is the possibility of Osmar Stabile's candidacy for re-election at Corinthians and the interpretation of the ineligibility rules provided in the statutory text.

The current Statute, in its article 103, §2º, states that re-election for the club's Presidency is prohibited. However, §4º of the same article establishes an exception: if the president assumed the position due to a vacancy, that is, by the early departure of the incumbent, they may run for the next election, provided they have remained in the position for up to 18 months.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

It is precisely this exception that is the subject of interpretative divergences behind the scenes at the club. The text does not explicitly specify whether the 18-month period includes the time served on an interim basis before the definitive assumption or if the count starts only from the formal election by the Council.

Internally, some argue that Stabile served as the first vice in the exercise of the Presidency. However, the opposing understanding, which underpins the current discussion, is that Stabile effectively assumed as interim president after Augusto Melo's removal by the Deliberative Council (CD), remaining in office after the election that led him to the interim mandate. In this condition, the period would exceed 18 months, which, in theory, would make his candidacy for re-election unfeasible under the current rules.

In light of this, CD president Romeu Tuma Júnior stated that any adjustments should be made through an amendment to the statutory reform project.

“I was clear: if they want him to be a candidate for re-election, they need to present an amendment to the Reform Commission,” he declared in an interview with Central do Timão. According to Tuma, members of the political group União dos Vitalícios requested that he draft the amendment proposal himself, which was initially refused. “I am the president of the Council. The interested group should present it.”

The leader also reported that, from this impasse, suspicions arose that he was acting against Stabile's potential candidacy. He refuted the interpretation and stated that it is not his role to assume the political burden of such an articulation.

“I have nothing to do with this. Whoever wants to be a candidate needs to assume the political wear of saying they are a candidate,” Tuma stated. “As I am not a coward, I make the amendment,” he added.

The CD president clarified that the proposal was accepted by the Statute Reform Commission, with some adjustments included in the final text that ensure the possibility of Osmar Stabile running for re-election.

What the amendment provides

The new article 67-A stipulates that the exceptional assumption of an elective position to complete a vacant term, when the vacancy occurs in the last year of the original term, does not equate to re-election nor create ineligibility in the subsequent election. For the purposes of the provision, “last year” is considered the remaining period equal to or less than 12 months, counted from the date of assumption to the end of the original term.

In theory, this limitation could also make Stabile's candidacy unfeasible, as he would exceed this period. However, the project itself includes a specific rule in the transitional provisions. The article 142-C states that article 67-A applies exclusively to vacancies occurring after the approval of the new Statute, prohibiting any retroactive application. The sole paragraph reinforces that the reference date will be the proclamation of the result of the General Assembly (AG) that approves the text.

In practice, this means that the new 12-month limit will not affect situations prior to the promulgation of the reform by the General Assembly. Thus, if the text is approved as it stands, the temporal criterion provided in article 67-A will not apply to the vacancy already consummated, keeping the debate restricted to the interpretation of the currently effective Statute.

According to the portal Meu Timão, Stabile believes he has legal backing to run for a new term at the club, although he still prefers to wait before making a definitive decision on the matter.

Criticism of the reform's conduct and promise of highlighted voting

During the discussions, some councilors began referring to the text as “Estatuma,” suggesting that the project was being conducted in a personalistic manner by the CD president. Tuma classified the criticism as unfair and emphasized that the proposal is the result of a collective effort developed over more than two years, with public hearings and participation from councilors, members, collectives, and fan representatives.

Finally, Tuma stated that the most sensitive points of the reform, including the amendment itself, will be voted on individually, to ensure greater transparency and depth of debate in the plenary. After the Council's deliberation, the project will be submitted to the approval of the General Assembly (AG) of members, scheduled for early April.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.