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Brazil’s Supreme Court rejects motion to block impeachment Brazil top court rejects president’s bid to stop impeachment
(35 minutes later)
RIO DE JANEIRO — In a blow to President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s Supreme Court early Friday rejected a motion seeking to block an impeachment vote against her in Congress’ lower house. RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s Supreme Court voted early Friday to reject a motion seeking to block an impeachment vote in the lower house of Congress against President Dilma Rousseff, sharply limiting the embattled leader’s options to avoid a showdown with legislators who want to oust her.
It was another defeat for the embattled leader, who has lost support of key allies this week and is now even closer to a first major defeat in the process. Rousseff has lost support of key allies this week and is now even closer to a major defeat that would weaken an already struggling administration dealing with problems on many fronts: the worst recession in decades, a sprawling scandal at state oil company Petrobras and an outbreak of the Zika virus, which can cause devastating birth defects.
The high court’s extraordinary session ran about 7½ hours and ended with justices voting 8-2 against the president, turning aside her claim that the voting procedures planned by the Chamber of Deputies were “contaminated.” Justices voted 8-2 to deny Rousseff’s appeal, saying it wasn’t their role to get involved at this stage of the process, which the top legal official in Rousseff’s government called “contaminated.” The majority of judges argued the lower house’s role in impeachment proceedings is to consider whether to accept accusations against Rousseff and if it does so, the Senate will have a trial to fully examine them.
House Speaker Eduardo Cunha, a fierce enemy of Rousseff, initially organized the vote to begin with legislators from the industrial and rich south, where opposition to the president is strongest. After the justices began meeting, Cunha’s lawyer presented a different plan that would alternate between the south and the north, where Rousseff has more support. The only good news for the Rousseff in the special session that ran past seven hours was a statement by Chief Justice Ricardo Lewandowski suggesting that in the future the court could again look at the impeachment proceedings.
The Supreme Court’s decision to deliver a ruling so soon had not been expected, but Chief Justice Ricardo Lewandowski said that “exceptional situations require exceptional measures.” “Impeachment is a political action, yes. But who said that political actions can’t be debated by the Judiciary?” said Lewandowski, one of the two justices who voted to back the president’s motion.
The special session of the justices was the latest development amid weeks of legal wrangling over a process in Congress that has exposed deep divisions in Latin America’s largest country. Justices began their session discussing whether the procedures set for Sunday’s impeachment vote by the Chamber of Deputies were valid.
Initially, lower house Speaker Eduardo Cunha, a strident foe of the president, organized the vote to begin with legislators from the industrial and rich south, where the opposition to Rousseff is strongest.
But while the justices were meeting, Cunha’s lawyer presented a different plan that would alternate between the south and the north, where Rousseff has more support. The court decided to keep Cunha’s revised plan.
The top court had not been expected to rule on Thursday, but then Lewandowski said that “exceptional situations require exceptional measures.”
The late meeting of 10 justices was the latest development amid weeks of legal wrangling over a process in Congress that has exposed deep divisions in Latin America’s largest country.
The lower house’s vote on whether to impeach Rousseff is based on allegations that she broke fiscal rules to mask budget problems by shifting around government accounts.The lower house’s vote on whether to impeach Rousseff is based on allegations that she broke fiscal rules to mask budget problems by shifting around government accounts.
Solicitor General Jose Eduardo Cardozo’s filing to the court argued Cunha had presented the impeachment push in such a way that went beyond the actual accusations against Rousseff. In filing Rousseff’s motion Thursday, Solicitor General Jose Eduardo Cardozo argued Cunha had presented the impeachment push in such a way that went beyond the actual accusations against Rousseff.
Cardozo made the same claim about the report submitted to the special congressional committee that voted Monday to send the impeachment measure to the full Chamber of Deputies. He said discussion included the overall political crisis, the recession and a sprawling corruption probe at state-run oil company Petrobras. Cardozo made the same claim about the report submitted to the special congressional committee that voted Monday to send the impeachment measure to the full Chamber of Deputies. He said the discussion was “contaminated” because it included the overall political crisis, the recession and unrelated corruption probes.
The pro-impeachment camp needs two-thirds of the 513 votes in the lower house, or 342 votes, to send the proceedings to the Senate for a possible trial. If the Senate takes it up, Rousseff would be forced to step down until the measure was voted on. “We are not talking about the merits of impeachment” but rather the process, Cardozo told reporters Thursday afternoon in Brasilia.
Both government and opposition forces say they have enough votes to win on Sunday, but daily counts by Brazilian media suggest the opposition is much closer to victory After the court’s decision, when journalists asked Cardozo whether Rousseff would still try to block the vote Sunday, Cardozo said: “We are going to analyze this process step by step.”
Cardozo added that the government can go to the Supreme Court to discuss the merit and that it will be done “at the appropriate time.” He did not elaborate.
The pro-impeachment camp needs two-thirds of the 513 votes in the lower house, or 342 votes, to send the proceedings to the Senate for a possible trial. If the Senate agreed to take it up, Rousseff would be forced to step down until the measure was voted on.
Both government and opposition forces say they have enough votes to win Sunday, but daily counts by Brazilian media suggest the opposition is much closer to victory.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.