Allies Plan to Empty Session of Congress to Save President Temer

06/19/2017 - 12h04

One of the plans being drawn up by allies of Michel Temer to keep him in office involves emptying out the session of the Lower House of Congress which will hear and analyze the criminal complaint against the President.

The Federal General Prosecutor is expected to present the formal charge against the PMDB Leader stemming from the plea-bargain testimony of JBS Corporation executives in the next few days.

The Constitution stipulates that a charge can only be transformed into a case before the Federal Supreme Court - with the resulting temporary removal of the President from office, if it is approved by a plenary session of the Lower House of Congress, with a vote of at least 342 of the 513 members.

Or in other words, Temer needs at least 172 congressmen on his side, but not necessarily the vote of these parliamentarians - in strict terms, he doesn't need any votes.

It's the opposing side that has the obligation to collect 342.

Beyond all of the suspicions against the President brought up in the testimony captained by Joesley Batista, negative popular opinion weighs against the PMDB Leader: according to the latest poll by Datafolha conducted in April, Temer has only a 9% approval rating from the man on the street.

One of the governing members' plans is to absent themselves at the time of the voting and to count on today's improbably opposition and dissident scenario of gathering the 342 votes.

This scenario will become less likely if it becomes clear that public perceives the absence as the same thing as voting in favor Temer.

Members of the governing group today are counting on around 250 congressmen to block the accusation against Temer, but the number is oscillating.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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