Brazil's Senate on Tuesday began to analyze a report which favors the impeachment of suspended President Dilma Rousseff for alleged fiscal irregularities.
If the report is approved, Rousseff will be removed from the presidency at the end of August.
Tuesday's session was headed by Ricardo Lewandowski, president of the Supreme Court and it should last approximately 20 hours.
Before handing over the reigns to Lewandowski in the plenary, Senate President Renan Calheiros asked his colleagues to reflect on "the seriousness of the decision they will make."
"Let us make a decision, as soon as possible, stripped of our political-partisan convictions and filled with the responsibility which comes with the role of being judges, bestowed on us by the federal constitution," said Calheiros.
Lewandowski said that his role will only be to coordinate and that for that reason, he will not be able to intervene in the discussions "or give opinions or value judgment on merit."
After the formal opening, the report from Senator Antonio Anastasia was read and each senator will have 10 minutes to talk.
The report proposed proceeding with the definitive dismissal of the president, who is accused of "infringing upon the constitution" through irregularities in fiscal management.
All the votes are expected to be cast during the early hours of Wednesday.
For the process to progress, the report will have to be approved by a simple majority out of the 81 senators and after this, the impeachment process will enter into its final phase, which is set to take place at the end of the month.
If Rousseff is dismissed, Temer will complete the mandate until the end of 2018 and Rousseff will be unable to hold another position in the civil service for eight years.
[Xinhua -globaltimes.cn]
10/8/16
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Related:
If the report is approved, Rousseff will be removed from the presidency at the end of August.
Tuesday's session was headed by Ricardo Lewandowski, president of the Supreme Court and it should last approximately 20 hours.
Before handing over the reigns to Lewandowski in the plenary, Senate President Renan Calheiros asked his colleagues to reflect on "the seriousness of the decision they will make."
"Let us make a decision, as soon as possible, stripped of our political-partisan convictions and filled with the responsibility which comes with the role of being judges, bestowed on us by the federal constitution," said Calheiros.
Lewandowski said that his role will only be to coordinate and that for that reason, he will not be able to intervene in the discussions "or give opinions or value judgment on merit."
After the formal opening, the report from Senator Antonio Anastasia was read and each senator will have 10 minutes to talk.
The report proposed proceeding with the definitive dismissal of the president, who is accused of "infringing upon the constitution" through irregularities in fiscal management.
All the votes are expected to be cast during the early hours of Wednesday.
For the process to progress, the report will have to be approved by a simple majority out of the 81 senators and after this, the impeachment process will enter into its final phase, which is set to take place at the end of the month.
- Rousseff was provisionally removed from office on May 12 for 180 days and Vice President Michel Temer stayed in her place on an interim basis.
If Rousseff is dismissed, Temer will complete the mandate until the end of 2018 and Rousseff will be unable to hold another position in the civil service for eight years.
[Xinhua -globaltimes.cn]
10/8/16
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Related:
Brazil's interim president plans to remain in office till 2019
Brazil's Rousseff to face impeachment trial; Temer assumes presidency. The vote was 55-22
Dilma Rousseff: Senate report recommends impeachment
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The Brazilian Senate has voted to begin the impeachment trial of embattled President Dilma Rousseff, a move that could officially hand over power to her former vice president – current interim president – Michel Temer...
ReplyDeleteSenate debate stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning, but the results were clear-cut, with a 59 to 21 majority voting in favor of moving forward with the impeachment proceedings. The Senate needed just a simple majority to decide on taking Rousseff to trial, but a two-thirds majority will be needed in the final vote, which will come after the trial in late August.
The Senate suspended Rousseff in May after allegations emerged that she illegally fudged the numbers on the country’s budget to make it seem like a slump in the economy wasn’t as bad as it actually was during her 2014 re-election campaign. Throughout the impeachment process, Rousseff has maintained that she did nothing wrong and called it a coup.
Rousseff has denied she broke budget laws and maintains she is the victim of a right-wing conspiracy to overthrow her government that advanced the interests of Brazil's poor.
In her written defense last month Rousseff said Brazilians knew an honest woman was being put on trial and she called the impeachment proceedings a "farce" and her alleged crimes no more than "routine acts of budgetary management."
Her conviction would end her 13-year reign over Brazil, and leave the largest economy in Latin America in the hands of her conservative former vice president.
Since the Senate suspended Rousseff on May 12, Brazil’s stock market and currency have strengthened based on investor speculation that Temer, who has laid out policy proposals that favor private business, will be better for the economy.
Temer has implored the Senate to move quickly, saying that the “"people need to know who the president is."
If Rousseff is found guilty, Temer will become the president until the next election is held in 2018.
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