Impeachment of Rousseff Confirmed with 61 Votes in Favor and 20 Against

09/01/2016 - 11h09

Michel Temer, 75, of the PMDB, was confirmed as the President of Brazil on Wednesday, August 31, as the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff (PT) was ratified by Brazilian senators.

Temer, who had been the interim president since May 12, became the 41st person to occupy the position definitely, as he took office at 4:49 p.m. in the crowded senate.

In his speech on national TV and radio aired on Wednesday evening, the new president promised to seek conciliation and national pacification. Temer also defended the approval of limits to public debts and the reforms of the country's social security system and labor laws.

In an unexpected decision, the president of the Brazilian Supreme Court, Justice Ricardo Lewandowski, who was responsible for leading the session, decided to accept the proposal led by the President of the senate, Renan Calheiros (PMDB-AL), to vote separately on Rousseff´s loss of rights to take public office for eight years.

In the decision, 42 senators voted in favor of Rousseff losing the rights – 12 votes short of the minimum necessary. Rousseff will be allowed to take public office, such as teaching at universities.

If she decides to become a candidate in the 2018 elections, however, there will be a judicial debate, as she could suffer restrictions of the Ficha Limpa Act, which prevents candidates sentenced in judicial trials from taking office.

After she received the news of the result, Rousseff gave an intense speech in which she promised forceful opposition against Temer. She said this is the second coup in her life - a reference to the 1964 coup, which she fought against as a guerrilla.

At the end of the day, Temer traveled to China, leaving the country in the hands of the President of the Lower House, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ) - the third President of Brazil in the same day.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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	Renato Costa/Folhapress
	Michel Temer was confirmed as the President of Brazil, as the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff was ratified by senators