Dilma Rousseff Impeachment Update: Lower House backs ousting of Brazilian President

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is on the verge of an impeachment which has initially been decided by the lower house of Congress on Sunday. The charges indicated that there was a manipulation of government accounts for political gains.

According to Reuters, Brazil's lower house of Congress voted on Sunday to impeach the current President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, for breaking budget laws. Rousseff's opposition was able to gain an outstanding vote count of 324-vote mark that will eventually send her impeachment case to the Senate. They will then proceed to a trial, threatening 13 years of leftist Workers Party rule in the divided nation.

Rousseff has instigated that there is a "coup" planned against her as reported by BBC. Furthermore, there are 25,000 rival protesters rallying in front of the Congress. If the motion is approved by more than two-thirds, the Senate will proceed to decide on the allegations of unlawful activity against her. The decision by Senate will determine Rousseff's future and if guilty, she'll be removed from the office permanently.

In retaliation, a defendant for Rousseff, Afonso Florence, said it would be better if the MPs would have 'democratic conscience' and turn their focus on attacking her opponents who are also having their own charges of corruption. Flocks of supporters of Rousseff can be seen in the country wearing red while her opponents' supporters flash green and yellow, the colors in the flag of Brazil.

Hindustan Times wrote that opinion polls are saying that 60% of Brazilians support the impeachment of Rousseff, who is also known as the first female president of the country. Though she's not been accused of corruption, her government has been tainted by vast graft scandal at state oil company, Petrobras, and the country's economic recession. 

Meanwhile, Congresso em Foco, a watch dog in Brasilia, said more than 300 of the legislators who voted for her impeachment are also under investigation for fraud and electoral crimes.Lawmakers say that the next person to be investigated would be speaker Eduardo Cunha, who's alleged of corruption and money laundering.

Tags

Dilma Rousseff, Impeachment trial, Corruption, graft, Money Laundering, Afonso Florence, coup, Brazil, president, Congress

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