Brazilian parliament returns from recess to decide on president's fate

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-01 11:21:16|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao
Video PlayerClose

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's parliament returned from a winter recess this week and got ready for a vote to decide on a corruption case against President Michel Temer.

On Tuesday, the Chamber of Deputies will hear a complete report on the case.

Since the parliament's Commission on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship voted earlier to reject the charges thanks to the last-minute switching of some members of the ruling party, the report will suggest the parliament also reject the charges.

On Wednesday, deputies will discuss the charges pressed by Prosecutor-General, Rodrigo Janot, at a plenary session, before moving onto a vote.

While no exact date for the vote is set, parliament speaker Rodrigo Maia has reaffirmed his commitment to holding it as soon as possible.

A two-thirds majority, or 342 out of 513 deputies, is needed to approve the charges and start a trial against Temer.

Temer, who became president after the impeachment of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff, is the first head of state in Brazil's history to receive criminal charges while in office.

The case against Temer began in May when Joesley Batista, owner of the meatpacking group JBS, confessed to investigators that he had paid bribes to the president.

If Temer steps down for up to 180 days to allow for a trial, Maia would take over the presidency in an interim capacity.

While the government has been active in lobbying politicians to support Temer, making promises to support their bills, a Monday opinion poll by Globo found 196 deputies favor accepting the charges, with 112 against, 77 undecided and 127 making no responses.

According to an Ibope poll released on Monday, a large majority of Brazilian people wish for Temer to stand trial.

Some 81 percent of interviewees said they wanted Temer to be tried for corruption, while just 14 percent said he should not.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001364904601