Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Orders President of Senate to Step Down

12/06/2016 - 16h16

Brazilian Supreme Court justice Marco Aurélio Mello has ordered Renan Calheiros (PMDB - Alagoas) to step down as president of the Senate.

The justice issued an injunction, therefore the ruling is only temporary. Mello accepted the request made by the Rede Sustentabilidade party Monday (the 5th), urging Calheiros to step down after embezzlement charges were brought against him Thursday (the 1st).

A lawsuit will determine whether or not a contractor helped cover the senator's personal expenses.

The ruling has the Temer government worried since it considers the Senate's approval of the cap on government spending a top priority.

Jorge Viana, a member of the Workers' Party from the state of Acre and first vice-president of the Senate, will take his place. His party is against the spending cap.

Calheiros' press secretary issued a statement saying he will position himself once he is fully briefed on the content of the ruling.

"The senator will consult with his lawyers in order to determine the best course of action in light of the Supreme Court ruling", the statement read.

Many demonstrators who took to the streets in major cities across the entire country on Sunday (the 4th) directed their anger toward the senator for the PMDB party.

The ruling caught many of Temer's advisors off guard. Under the current circumstances, the government plans on reaching a deal with Viana in order to put the spending cap to a vote.

Senate majority leader Romero Jucá (PMDB-Roraima) tried pressuring his colleague by stating that the Supreme Court ruling hasn't changed the Senate's timetable.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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