Brazil鈥檚 President Dilma Rousseff speaks during a Women in Defense of Democracy Meeting, at the Planalto Presidential Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, April 7, 2016. The women representing social movements and trade unions, and are against Rousseff鈥檚 removal from office, gathered to show her their support. The special investigator for a congressional commission recommended Wednesday that the impeachment process against Rousseff move forward, saying there is evidence she violated fiscal laws. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
RIO DE JANEIRO 鈥� Efforts to remove Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff from office advanced Monday, with a congressional commission nearing a vote on whether it should recommend impeachment to the full lower house of Congress.
The 65-member commission is widely expected to vote, as early as late Monday, for impeachment on allegations Rousseff violated fiscal laws.
However, the vote is largely symbolic: Whatever the outcome, the measure will go to the full lower house for a crucial vote expected at week鈥檚 end.
With 342 votes in the 513-member Congress needed for the process to move forward, current projections show the outcome too close to call.聽Brazil鈥檚聽biggest party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, or PMDB, pulled out of Rousseff鈥檚 governing coalition late last month, forcing the government to scramble to secure the support of other, smaller parties to help block the impeachment process.
If the measure passes the lower house, it goes to the Senate, which would decide whether to open a trial. If that happens, Rousseff would be suspended from office for up to 180 days during a trial.
In yet another twist in the months-long saga, the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper released the audio of an address by Vice President Michel Temer, who would take over if Rousseff were suspended. The audio, which the newspaper said was sent to members of Temer鈥檚 PMDB party, appears to be a draft of an address that Temer would make to the Brazilian people if the impeachment process were to move forward following a vote in the full Congress.
In the address, Temer speaks as if he had already assumed the top job, saying, 鈥淢any people sought me out so that I would give at least preliminary remarks to the Brazilian nation, which I am doing with modesty, caution and moderation.鈥�
Temer says聽Brazil聽needs a 鈥済overnment of national salvation鈥� to pull the country out of its current recession and calls for unity from the splintered political system. In an apparent bid to soothe the impoverished segments of society that are among Rousseff鈥檚 strongest supporters, Temer pledges not to dismantle popular wealth-transfer programs and to expand them as necessary.
Temer鈥檚 office said the audio was sent 鈥渂y accident鈥� to fellow party members.
In a reaction on Twitter, Rousseff鈥檚 governing Workers鈥� Party suggested the audio could ultimately work against Temer.
A Supreme Court justice last week ruled that the speaker of the lower house in Congress must open impeachment proceedings against Temer, who faces the same allegations of breaking fiscal rules as Rousseff. If he, too, were suspended from office, house Speaker Eduardo Cunha would be in line to take over. But Cunha is facing money laundering and other charges stemming from allegations he received kickbacks in the sprawling corruption scheme at the state-run Petrobras oil company.
An investigation into the far-reaching scheme has shaken聽Brazil聽over two years, with top politicians and some of the country鈥檚 richest and most powerful businessmen detained, charged and even convicted in the scheme.