THE MILITARY RÉGIME (1964-1985)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Institutional Act No. 5 - The Institutional Act No. 5, of December 13th, 1968, suspended the guarantees of the Constitution of 1967 and increased the dictatorial powers of the President of the Republic, allowing him to decree the recess of the National Congress in 1968.

Aiming at controlling the electorate and the National Congress, Falcão's Law (No. 6339/1976) restricted the electoral campaign, forbidding political debates in the media. In 1977, Constitutional Amendment No. 8 instituted the "bionic" senator [who would take office without having been elected].

The Constitutional Amendment No. 11/1978 revoked the institutional and complementary acts imposed by the military and modified the demands for the organization of political parties. On November 19th, 1980, the Amendment No. 15 reestablished direct elections for Governors and senators and eliminated the bionic senator.

Law No. 6767, of December 20th, 1979, extinguished the ARENA and the MDB, and reestablished multipartism, showing the first signs of political openness.

Five military presidents were elected indirectly. The Brazilian society then mobilized, mainly in the biggest cities, demanding political changes that led to the redemocratization of the Country. However, the election of a civil President toward the end of the régime was indirect, carried out through an electoral assembly; President-elect Tancredo Neves died before his installation, so Vice-president José Sarney took office in 1985.The New Republic