Impeaching a Brazilian President Is Complicated: a Quick Guide

Recent events in Brazil have increased the likelihood that beleaguered President Dilma Rousseff could be impeached, analysts say, as courts allege she doctored government accounts to allow for more spending in the run-up to her re-election in 2014.

Supreme Court justices issued injunctions on October. 13 that temporarily limit legislators’ power to initiate proceedings if the lower house president shelves a request.

However, he is also fighting for his own political life after being accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes during a massive corruption scheme in which leading Brazilian executives bribed politicians and embezzled from state oil company Petrobras. While it has given him the final decision over the impeachment process, since he now either has to accept or reject it, this also means he could fall into the government’s crosshairs and could be expelled from his role of President of the House if he accepts an impeachment request. The rejected guidelines allowed the opposition and the floor of the House to appeal if Cunha rejected an impeachment.

When questioned on Wednesday (14) over the negotiations with the government, Cunha said there is neither “war nor truce” with either of the two sides of the political dispute.

Brazil’s Federal Police has opened a preliminary investigation into alleged irregularities in President Dilma Rousseff’s successful re-election campaign previous year, the Globo television network reported. The main opposition party said it would file a new request on Friday that will include Bicudo’s petition and add charges that Rousseff continued to misuse government accounts this year.

“It is clear that Eduardo Cunha violated the Constitution and the Code of Ethics and Parliamentary Decorum of the Chamber (of Deputies), for having used the position to obtain undue advantages”, said Chico Alencar, a lawmaker in the lower house and the leader of the Party of Socialism and Freedom.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has vowed to bring the economy back growing again, calling for unity to overcome the economic crisis.

Cunha might not see that day. Conservative parties called for Cunha’s resignation on Friday. Two weeks ago, she reshuffled her cabinet to give members of his party more posts and prevent them from joining efforts to impeach her, yet she has still failed to win Congress’ support for a fiscal austerity plan. Silva said the opposition lacked a legal basis to impeach Rousseff.