Effort to impeach Brazil's president thrown into chaos
Effort to impeach Brazil's president thrown into chaos
Jenny Barchfield and Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press
Updated 5:13 pm, Monday, May 9, 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The impeachment process against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was thrown into chaos Monday as the acting speaker of the lower Chamber of Deputies annulled a majority vote by his own colleagues that favored ousting the embattled leader.
The surprise move by acting Speaker Waldir Maranhao touched off a firestorm of debate over the move's legality and its possible implications, a standoff that will likely have to be solved by the country's supreme court.
The Senate had been expected to decide Wednesday whether to accept the impeachment case against Rousseff and put her on trial for allegedly breaking fiscal rules in her management of the national budget. If a simple majority of senators decides in favor, Rousseff will be suspended and Vice President Michel Temer will take over until a trial is conducted.
Senate Head Renan Calheiros told colleagues he intended to ignore Maranhao's decision and move forward with the proceedings as scheduled. He slammed the speaker's action as "toying with democracy."
More:
http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/House-Speaker-annuls-presidential-impeachment-vote-7422743.php
LBN:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141442989#post5
