News / Brazil

Brazil top court rejects Rousseff requset to annul impeachment

Wednesday, 24 August 2016 12:29 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 24 August 2016 1:20 PM ]

Brazil's suspended President Dilma Rousseff gestures during a rally in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 23, 2016. (AFP photo)

Brazil's Supreme Court has dismissed claims by suspended president, Dilma Rousseff, and her defense team about irregularities in a session in Congress, during which senators voted to open an impeachment trial against her.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Ricardo Lewandowski on Tuesday rejected a request from Rousseff to annul the session, saying neither he nor the Supreme Court could rule on the matter as it was a decision made in Congress.

Lewandowski, who will preside over the trial, said that even if the court were to decide on the issue, the procedures used at the session on August 10 “did not harm the accused.”

Rousseff’s defense team has filed several complaints against the process, claiming that some of the procedures used at the session violated her rights.

Chief Justice of Brazil's Federal Supreme Court Ricardo Lewandowski gestures during the voting session on whether to send suspended president Dilma Rousseff to an impeachment trial, in Brasilia on August 09, 2016. (AFP photo)

The court had already rejected the appeals filed by Rousseff’s lawyers, allowing the process to continue.

Senators are expected to begin the impeachment trial on Thursday. Rousseff will also be allowed to respond to senators’ queries to convince them that she is innocent. A vote will then be held in which Congress members could remove her from office.

Rousseff was suspended on May 12 when the lower house of parliament accused her of financial wrongdoing during an election year. She has rejected the accusation, saying she has been the victim of a “coup” by her opponents.

Rousseff, who was re-elected by 54.5 million Brazilians 18 months ago, vowed at a rally in Sao Paulo on Tuesday to “resist” and fight against impeachment.

“We will, all of us, together, resist!” Rousseff told her supporters at the gathering which was organized by the Frente Brasil Popular party.

Michel Temer, Rousseff’s former vice president, would replace her until 2018 if the impeachment results in Rousseff’s removal from power.

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