Brazil tensions rise amid vote on Dilma Rousseff impeachment

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Brazil’s government braced itself amid mass protests on Sunday as congress began a crucial vote on whether President Dilma Rousseff should be impeached.

By the early evening, 83 members of the 513-lower house had voted for impeachment, with 25 against and three abstentions. The opposition needs 342 votes to pass the motion. The government and the ruling Workers’ party (PT) requires 172 votes against and abstentions to overturn the motion.

In Brasília, supporters both for and against impeachment massed in front of the house of congress, divided by a metal wall and guarded by riot troops.

In spite of an oppressive sun, the atmosphere was carnival-like, with organisers mixing live entertainment with political speeches and some protesters drinking beer.

“Get rid of this thief,” said one protester in favour of impeachment while those on the other side of the fence lamented the takeover of the country by “golpistas”, or coupmongers, as the Workers` Party has dubbed the opposition.

In a show of confidence early in the day, Ms Rousseff had gone on her normal morning cycle ride near her presidential home in Brasília.

“We are living under the threat of a coup,” Ms Rousseff said in an column published in Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. “A coup without the use of arms but by methods even more destructive, such as fraud and lies.”

The vote is being watched closely by markets, which have rallied on hopes that Ms Rousseff’s government will fall.

Critics accuse her of pursuing interventionist policies that have led to one of the worst political and economic crises in Brazil’s history, with the economy facing its deepest recession in more than a century and the government hamstrung by the impeachment debate.

The government and its opponents are also implicated in a corruption investigation at Petrobras, the state-owned oil company, further angering Brazilians.

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If congress approves the impeachment vote, the senate will then vote on whether to accept the process.

If this passed by a simple majority, the formal trial would begin in the senate and Michel Temer, the vice-president, would take over as acting president in early May.

Ms Rousseff, one of the country’s most unpopular presidents in history, has spent the weekend wooing congressmen and state governors, some of whom wield considerable power in congress, inviting them to her home in Brasília.

In a video published on social networks, Ms Rousseff said the opposition would cut social programmes including the Bolsa Família, a monthly stipend for the poor, if it won power — a threat she used to woo low-income earners in the 2014 elections. Mr Temer has denied such claims.

Congress has been debating the impeachment proposal since Friday, with lawmakers from all sides giving impassioned speeches. The nearly 43-hour session was the longest in the chamber’s history, local media reported.

Led by Eduardo Cunha, the house speaker and a sworn enemy of Ms Rousseff, the voting session is expected to begin at 2pm local time with more speeches after which each lawmaker will vote.

If Ms Rousseff loses, she is expected to use her remaining time in office to try to sway the vote in the senate with promises of ministries, government jobs and local spending commitments.

Mr Temer, hitherto a retiring vice-president who commands little name recognition among most Brazilian voters, will face fierce opposition from the PT, which is known for its ability to marshal unions and social groups for street protests.

He would, however, enjoy the support of markets and industry, giving him a short honeymoon with which to try to rebalance Brazil`s sinking public finances and introduce some reforms.

If Ms Rousseff wins, the political infighting is expected to continue, with elections not due until 2018. She faces other threats, including a lawsuit in the election tribunal alleging that she used money from corruption to fund her 2014 election campaign.

If convicted by the electoral court, she and Mr Temer would have their mandate annulled and new elections would be called.