Hot seats

Election debates can be tense with rival candidates getting into heated exchanges.

They can also turn ugly as what happened between José Luiz Datena and Pablo Marçal during a televised debate for Sao Paulo mayoral bets on 15 September.

During the debate featuring four other contenders, Marcal reportedly brought up old sexual harassment allegations against Datena that incensed the latter because the case was dismissed several years ago reportedly for lack of evidence.

The angry Datena pulled a metal chair and swung it at Marcal, hitting him in the chest. He was hospitalized due to injuries but was later discharged.

In Albania, the legislature became a hotspot when opposition lawmakers could not contain their anger over the arrest and jailing of a colleague. Member of Parliament (MP) Ervin Salianji was convicted on 26 September of fabricating a lawsuit, Balkan Insight reports.

Twenty-five opposition MPs protested Salianji’s arrest on 30 September by blocking the podium in the legislative chamber. They lobbed chairs at the speaker of parliament and cabinet ministers. They also broke and burned chairs outside the parliament building.

The session was called off due to the violence.

The 25 MPs are now in hot water as police referred them to special prosecutors on charges of destruction of property.