Elections are a joke, and nobody is laughing harder than supporters of Francisco Silva. Silva, you see, is a clown. Like he’s an actual clown and entertainment figure named Tiririca (loosely translated, that means Grumpy), and he’s poised to become the latest member of Brazil’s congress. Unfortunately, there’s one problem for Silva. Tiririca the clown has to prove he can read and write, otherwise his election is doomed.
People who work on Tiririca’s television program and on the book credited to him say he is functionally illiterate, like 10 percent of Brazil’s population, according to Epoca magazine. Silva, running on the Workers Party ticket, may be the most popular candidate in Brazil’s election, garnering over a million votes. In Brazil’s election scheme, in which the party that gets the most votes gets the most seats, he may personally win three or four seats for his party in Brazil’s 513-seat lower house of Congress, assuming he can convince a judge that he can read and write or courts uphold his previously-approved election documentation.
Silva’s election campaign has been kind of a joke, but it’s been a successful one in spite of the average person’s clown-phobia. His slogans have included, “It can’t get any worse,” and “What does a federal deputy do? Truly, I don’t know. But vote for me and you’ll find out.” No wonder he’s a hit!
Tags: Francisco Silva, Tiririca, clown elected to Brazilian government, clown elected to Brazilian congress, unusual politicians, clown elected to congress must pass literacy test, functionally illiterate clown sent to congress, Workers Party, federal deputy
