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Brazil crisis: Rousseff loses lower house impeachment vote | Brazil crisis: Rousseff loses lower house impeachment vote |
(35 minutes later) | |
Brazil's lower house has voted to start impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff over charges of manipulating government accounts. | Brazil's lower house has voted to start impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff over charges of manipulating government accounts. |
The "yes" camp secured a two-thirds majority after a lengthy session in the capital Brasilia. | The "yes" camp secured a two-thirds majority after a lengthy session in the capital Brasilia. |
The motion will now be sent to the upper house, the Senate, which is expected to suspend Ms Rousseff while it carries out a formal trial. | The motion will now be sent to the upper house, the Senate, which is expected to suspend Ms Rousseff while it carries out a formal trial. |
She denies the charges, accusing her opponents of mounting a coup". | She denies the charges, accusing her opponents of mounting a coup". |
Brazil's governing Workers' Party said "the fight continues now in the Senate". | Brazil's governing Workers' Party said "the fight continues now in the Senate". |
Impeachment vote: Live updates | Impeachment vote: Live updates |
Votes are still being cast in parliament, but Ms Rousseff's opponents have already exceeded the 342-vote mark to send the motion to the Senate. | |
If the Senate finds the president guilty, she can be removed from office permanently. She has two opportunities to appeal during the whole process. | |
Read more on Brazil's political crisis: | |
Hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered in cities across the country - Ms Rousseff's supporters wearing red and her opponents wearing the green-and-yellow of the Brazilian flag. | |
Some 25,000 protesters from both sides are outside the Congress building - separated by a 2m (6.5ft) high wall, that stretches for 1km (0.6 miles). | |
The atmosphere has so far been peaceful; almost festive with music, fancy dress and people blowing trumpets and vuvuzuelas. | |
The 68-year-old president has vigorously denied any wrongdoing, and on Saturday wrote in one newspaper her opponents "want to convict an innocent woman and save the corrupt". | |
The BBC's Wyre Davis in Brazil says Ms Rousseff is an unpopular leader in a country facing a severe economic crisis. | |
She is accused of juggling the accounts to make her government's economic performance appear better than it was, ahead of her election campaign two years ago - charges she vigorously denies. | |
But her supporters say many of the congressmen who are sitting in judgement have been accused of far more serious crimes. | |
If she is impeached, Vice-President Michel Temer would take over as interim president, but he is also facing impeachment proceedings over the same allegations as Ms Rousseff. | |
Ms Rousseff accused him this week of being one of the ringleaders of the "coup" attempt against her. | |
She has also indicated lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha - who would be second in line to replace her - is among those trying to oust her. He is being investigated over allegations of taking multi-million-dollar bribes. | |
Next in line to replace her is Renan Calheiros, head of the Senate. But he, too, is under investigation in connection with a massive corruption scandal at state-oil company Petrobras. | |
All three are from the PMDB - the largest party in the coalition, which abandoned Ms Rousseff in recent weeks to support the impeachment. They deny the allegations against them. | |
What happens next? | |
Lower house vote: An impeachment vote is due in the lower house on Sunday. A two-thirds majority is required for it to go forward to the Senate. | |
Senate vote on trial: If Ms Rousseff case is sent to the Senate, a simple majority is enough to suspend her for up to 180 days while she is put on trial. Vice-President Michel Temer would step in during this period. | |
Impeachment vote: For Ms Rousseff to be removed from office permanently, two-thirds of the Senate would have to vote in favour. Mr Temer would remain president for an interim period should this happen. |