Government of Pará launches 'Guidance Manual for the 2024 Elections'

More than 80 public agents working in the state's institutional advertising participated in the launch of the Guidance Manual for the 2024 Elections, developed by the Attorney General's Office of the State of Pará (PGE), held this Wednesday, 27, at the Edgar Olyntho Contente auditorium in Belém.

During the event, training was conducted with the aim of providing instructions on the prohibited conduct for public employees during election periods and on how to employ institutional advertising without affecting the balance of the election.

Carla Melém - State Attorney"This is a work that the PGE has been developing since 2010 and every two years, whether for general or municipal elections, it is expanded and updated, following the resolutions of the Superior Electoral Court, current legislation, and jurisprudence regarding what the State can or cannot practice in an election year. There are prohibited conducts for the entire administration, and we need to have a cautious outlook so that no administrative action can cause any imbalance to the forces that are in dispute," emphasizes State Attorney Carla Melém, who conducted the training.

The event promoted by the PGE, through the Superior School of Public Advocacy (Esap) and the Association of State Attorneys of Pará (Apepa), had the support of the State Communication Secretariat of Pará (Secom), represented by the deputy secretary, Alinne Passos.

"The event was essential for our advisors from the various departments of the State Government to be fully trained with knowledge of the electoral prohibitions for 2024. This meeting not only strengthened our capacity to maintain clear and responsible communication but also ensured that the government's actions and disclosures are in full compliance with electoral legislation,” highlighted the deputy secretary.

GUIDELINES – Among the main highlights of the booklet, Attorney Carla Melém emphasized the deadlines for disaffiliation for public agents who will register their candidacy and need to leave public service. The free distribution of goods, services, and values, prohibited throughout the election year, was another point of alert.

Questions directed to institutional advertising were clarified by State Attorney Izabela Sauma Castelo Branco, who is also a trainer for the qualification. She explained that the very fact that public agents are governed by the principle of publicity, which imposes the publicization of administrative acts, can generate concern about how far one can go without incurring in a conduct prohibited by law.

Izabela Sauma Castelo Branco - State Attorney"Our booklet addresses this topic in detail, answering frequently asked questions in daily life. Bringing the Attorney General's Office closer to state agencies, facilitating and qualifying the actions of public servants is essential. This role of ours, which becomes more active with each election, has been gaining prominence to support conducts and meet state demands,” emphasizes Izabela Sauma Castelo Branco.

Clecius Galeno - legal advisor SeacThe legal advisor of the Strategic Secretariat for Citizen Articulation (Seac), Clecius Galeno, who was also at the qualification, celebrates the state initiative. "A training like this provides a direction, not only legal but general, regarding the rules of how the elections will take place this year and how we should act. This compilation of didactic information in the form of a Manual gives us more security for our daily work,” he concludes.