Brazil's Bolsonaro baffles evangelicals with top court pick

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday minated a judge with a record of flexible rulings to country’s Supreme Court, frustrating evangelical members of his conservative base who h been promised one of ir own for opening.

Bolsonaro anunced his mination of Kassio Marques on Thursday during a live brocast on Facebook and submitted his name to country’s official gazette on Friday. Marques, 48, was little kwn by political heavyweights in capital Brasilia and requires confirmation by Brazil’s Senate.

Career judge Marques would replace Celso de Mello, who will retire this month as he nears court's limit of 75 years. De Mello is widely regarded as a n-partisan scholar and has sat on Brazil's 11-member top court since 1989.

Marques became a federal judge 10 years ago. Prior to that he worked as a lawyer for 15 years. An expert in tax codes, he has a master's degree in constitutional law from University of Lisbon and a PhD from University of Salamanca, in Spain.

Bolsonaro's pledge to promote tritional values in Brazil, as well as his opposition to abortion and what he refers to as “ ideology,” helped him secure support from one of world's largest evangelical populations. He has repeated that while state is secular, his government is Christian, and many expected him to tap a conservative ideologue for top court despite risks of exacerbating conflict with moderates in or government branches.

“It looks like an armistice with Supreme Court and Congress after many rifts; those difficulties were becoming a minefield for president’s future,” Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, said by phone. “It is hard to believe that evangelical base will drift away because of pick, but it is a sign that Brazil’s checks and balances are w on Bolsonaro’s mind.”

Brazil’s national bar association, a frequent legal critic of Bolsonaro’s, said Marques fulfills all constitutional obligations for position and praised his legal experience.

Bolsonaro said in July 2019 that his first appointment to Supreme Court would be “awfully evangelical.” Several members of Bolsonaro's cabinet are evangelical.

Pastor Silas Malafaia, one of Bolsonaro's staunchest evangelical vocates, called his choice “absurd” and “shameful.” In a video he posted to his social media channels, he accused president of trying to please moderate lawmakers with a Supreme Court justice who has opted “socialist positions” during his career, without specifying which.

“We don't need an evangelical, but someone who is awfully right-wing,” Malafaia said. "This is a total disappointment."

Malafaia ded that Bolsonaro should follow example of U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently minated federal appeals judge Amy Coney Barrett to become next U.S. Supreme Court justice.

mination of Barrett, a Catholic conservative who has openly championed anti-abortion positions, pleased Christian conservatives in Trump's base.

Brazilian lawmaker and evangelical pastor Marcos Felicia indicated he doesn't approve of Bolsonaro's minee, but wouldn't break ranks.

“Once a decision is me, it is my job as an ally to hope everything will work out,” Felicia said on Twitter. “ Bible says: Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined.”

Marques' confirmation hearings are expected to take place in Brazil's Senate in December due to mayoral elections scheduled for vember.

Since his name appeared among possible minations on Monday, many Bolsonaro supporters h voiced ir opposition. During Thursday's live brocast on social media, Brazil’s president tried to calm his disheartened voters.

“ second vacancy will be for an evangelical, ok?," Bolsonaro said.

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