Brazilian president suspended as impeachment trial begins

The Brazilian senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly, with 55-22 votes in favour of the suspension of President Dilma Rousseff from office for 180 days and subjecting her to an impeachment trial on charges of budget irregularities.

A report from Rio de Janeiro described the 55-22 vote as a crushing defeat for Rousseff, who has characterised the impeachment proceedings as a parliamentary.

It said the senate would now investigate the allegations against her in the coming months and then hold another vote, in which a two-thirds majority would be required to permanently remove her from office.

The report said Michel Temer, the vice-president, must take over immediately, in accordance with the constitution.

“Temer has been Rousseff’s deputy since she took office in 2011, becoming the first woman to hold the position of president,” the report read.

“But their relationship has deteriorated, with Rousseff now referring to him as a ‘traitor’ and the PMDB withdrawing from the coalition government last month.”

The report noted that Temer, who is perceived as more market-friendly, has called for investor calm.

It said the vice president promised to trim the number of cabinet positions and make appointments from across the political spectrum.

It, however, said Rousseff who is accused of tampering with figures to disguise the size of Brazil’s budget deficit during her 2014 re-election campaign, has denied any wrongdoing.

It said ahead of the senate vote, Rousseff had cleared her personal effects from the presidential office.

However, addressing her supporters shortly before leaving office, Rousseff vowed to fight on, saying her country is experiencing “tragic” times.

“I may have made mistakes but I did not commit any crime,” Rousseff said.

“I never imagined that it would be necessary to fight once again against a coup in this country. This is a tragic hour for our country.

Bitter political rival Eduardo Cunha, who was the president of Brazil’s lower house, launched the process to impeach Rousseff in December.

The chamber voted in favour of her impeachment in April, sending the issue to the senate upper chamber.

Cunha was suspended last week on allegations that he was obstructing a corruption investigation against himself.

In a last-ditch effort to save her presidency, Rousseff appealed to the supreme court on Wednesday to block the senate, arguing that Cunha had abused his position of power to seek “revenge.”

The court rejected her appeal.

Her suspension ends 13 years of rule by the leftist Workers’ Party (PT), which has become increasingly unpopular for its handling of the battered economy and its connection to a massive corruption scandal involving the state-run oil company, Petrobras.