This year there will be elections to choose mayors and councillors here in Brazil. In some ways, these elections measures the influence and prestige which governors (and also the President) have in major capitals of the country. It is a preparation for the elections of 2010, in which new governors and a new president will be elected.

Winning in a state capital automatically means that the candidate is ready to compete for governor in two years. The most famous example of this is the governor José Serra, who earlier was mayor of Sao Paulo and now is the main opposition candidate for 2010. So, from these elections is that politicians begin to mobilize to create strategic alliances.

However, a new fact arose this year and is annoying all political parties. The AMA (Brazilian Association of Magistrates), an entity not related to any political party, released yesterday on its website a list of all candidates for mayor and vice mayor who answer to the electoral or criminal process. In principle, this list contains information on candidates from 15 major cities of Brazil, but more information about candidates from cities with more than 200 thousand voters will emerge in the coming weeks.

You may think that perhaps this is illegal, but is not. The objective of the association is not accusing anyone, since only been disclosed instances of cases already accepted by Justice (accusations as misuse of public resources, trafficking, money laundering, electoral fraud). Supposedly, the candidates themselves is that should make such divulgation, but as political and honesty often seem contradictory things, they prefers not to do (as they always did). And that is why they are so angry, because their hands are tied, as the AMA is simply doing what is foreseen by law.

We still do not know if that department of public utility will change the election results. It is too early to make any predictions, but the fact is that a little more information about the candidates is always welcome, especially in a country where the “transparency” in the public sector is virtually non-existent.