Former House Speaker Cunha Is Permanently Removed by 450 Votes and Claims Abandonment by Temer

09/13/2016 - 13h00

The full House of Representatives approved on Monday night (the 12th) the revocation of Eduardo Cunha's (PMDB-RJ) term, bringing an end to a troubled process that began in November 2015.

Announced at 11:50 p.m., the scoreboard showed 450 votes in favor of removal - 193 more than the minimum necessary -, versus only 10 for acquittal. There were nine abstentions.

The case has been marked by delays since last year.

Cunha was formally accused by the House of lying to his colleagues by denying, in March of 2015, having "whatever type of account" abroad - a phrase spoken before the existence of money linked to the PMDB leader in Switzerland came to light.

In a speech, Cunha claimed to have "paid the price" for authorizing the conducting of the impeachment process against Dilma Rousseff as President.

"The PT (Worker's Party) wants a trophy in order to show that it was a coup", he emphasized.

Cunha had already been temporarily suspended from his term. With this decision by the house, he will be ineligible for election until January of 2027.

Minutes before his term was revoked, Cunha attributed his falling to action taken directly by Michel Temer's government when it sponsored the candidacy of Representative Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ) for the Presidency of the House with the support of the PT.

"I am a human being and have already admitted to making many mistakes but it wasn't those that have led to my pursuit. What has led to my pursuit is politics. I have become the victim of political revenge in the midst of an electoral process", he said.

"I blame the government today not because it did anything itself to remove me but when it sponsored the candidacy for president that elected [Rodrigo Maia], in collusion with the PT, the government in a certain way joined the agenda for my removal", he concluded.

Cunha also attributed his fall to TV Globo, which he accused of carrying out a "pressure campaign to ensure that the congressmen were present here".

"It has been very difficult to live through the whole year that I have lived through. I mean the political and revenge scenario together", he said. "It was a binomial government and TV Globo in association with the PT. It's ironic, but it's true".

For Cunha, being abandoned by his allies at the very end of the process shows "the hypocrisy" of the representatives who supported him until the situation became practically irreversible.

The PMDB figure once again denied that he will negotiate a plea bargain and said that he fears only God.

"I will defend myself. I feel innocent and as such will defend myself. The onus of the proof is on the accuser", he said. Cunha even said that he wasn't afraid of being arrested.

As Folha reported on Monday, Cunha plans to write a book telling his version of the impeachment process.

After the session, he confirmed that he will include in the book all of the conversations that he had but guaranteed that he hadn't recorded anyone.

When questioned about whether the announcement of the book was a threat to his adversaries and even his allies, he declared that he doesn't make "veiled threats".

"I will reveal the facts. Society deserves to know all of the details".

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

Read the article in the original language

	Renato Costa - 14.jul.2016/Folhapress
	Former lower house Speaker Eduardo Cunha (PMDB)