Brazil’s Rousseff takes blows in impeachment fight

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s party appealed on Thursday to the supreme court to block impeachment proceedings in the first counterblow of a battle that is plunging the country into political turmoil.

The protagonist is Dilma Rousseff, the country’s first female president, a former guerilla fighter who was imprisoned and tortured for her work fighting the 1964-1985 dictatorship.

The government estimated conservatively that it already had firm support from 140 lawmakers in the lower house – shy of the 172 votes needed to block the process – and was seeking more, an aide to Rousseff said.

The supreme court appeal would charge Mr Cunha with “abuse of power and using the legislative power structure to defend himself”.

“We’re going to fight in every arena to prevent revenge and opportunism from destroying democracy”, Wagner posted on his Twitter account later on in the day. “I’ve committed no illicit act, there is no suspicion hanging over me of any misuse of public money”, she said, before adding in a clear jibe at Cunha: “I don’t have any offshore bank accounts”. “The president is making immeasurable efforts to push through (economic) reforms”.

Cunha is one of dozens of lawmakers being investigated in connection with the Petrobras scandal and faces an impeachment process by a chamber ethics committee. Hours later, Cunha accepted the petition of impeachment.

Still, the additional scrutiny is expected to further paralyze a government already struggling with political gridlock. “I don’t believe that balance will turn against Rousseff any time soon”, he added.

The Lower House president on Wednesday evening announced his decision to accept one of the 34 the requests to impeach the president on charges that range from illegally financing her re-election to doctoring fiscal accounts this year and last.

Cunha is also facing the chance of being kicked out of the lower house, as an ethics committee in that body weighs whether it’ll recommend a full vote on whether he can remain as a seated congressman while facing the corruption allegations.

“The mere opening of the process is succesful of inflicting an actual political, administrative, financial and social storm, with worldwide repercussions”, stated the party’s attraction to the Supreme Court, additionally warning of a “lack of procedural ensures” for Rousseff.

If the sixty six-robust committee decides sure, the case would go to a vote within the full home. If a two-thirds majority approves there, it then goes to the upper house for an impeachment trial, where another two-thirds majority would force Rousseff from office. “It is also a good indication of the real interest that Temer has in this process: standing as Rousseff’s successor”.

Looking longer-term, however, markets welcomed the prospect of a resolution to a crisis that has been dragging on for months.

Cunha said on Thursday he planned to call a meeting on Monday to choose the impeachment committee members, but their deliberations could easily stretch on for months. “It’s a problem Brazil needs to solve”.

The motion was based on a federal audit court’s ruling that Rousseff used funds from state banks to hide a growing federal budget deficit during her 2014 reelection campaign.

Padilha worked closely with Vice President Michel Temer, who is the PMDB party president, to try and rebuild Rousseff’s support in Congress earlier this year.

“The basis of this (impeachment proceeding) is purely technical”, said Cunha, dismissing the idea that his decision was motivated by personal or political reasons.

Standard & Poor’s downgraded Brazil’s credit rating to junk in September, and a similar move from another agency could trigger more capital outflows.