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          Brazil's Senate to Determine Whether Rousseff Goes on Trial

   by VOA News

   Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is expected to give her reaction
   Monday to the launching of impeachment proceedings against her.

   Lawmakers in the lower house of Congress voted late Sunday to send the
   matter to the Senate, which will consider whether to put Rousseff on
   trial on charges of manipulating budget accounts.

   One by one, the chamber's 513 deputies rose to announce their vote at a
   microphone, greeted by cheers and sometimes jeers from the rest of the
   members.

   It took them five hours to reach the two-thirds majority, or 342 votes,
   needed to initiate the process. The opposition cheered wildly at the
   342nd vote. The final vote in favor of impeachment was 367-137.

   ''The two-thirds majority vote also prompted wild cheering, music and
   dancing on the streets outside Congress where a huge crowd of
   opposition supporters had gathered.

   Rousseff supporters

   A large group of Rousseff loyalists, separated from the others by a
   long metal wall, was much less festive with some of the president's
   supporters breaking into tears.

   Jose Eduardo Cardozo, Rousseff's attorney general, described the vote
   as "a coup against democracy."

   Ruling Workers' Party leader in the House, Jose Guimaraes said, "The
   coup plotters have won." He called it a "temporary defeat" and said it
   does not mean the war is over.

   "The fight will continue in the streets and in the Senate," he said.

   ''In early May, if the Senate votes to put Rousseff on trial -- as it
   is expected to do -- she would be suspended from her post.

   The political crisis comes just months before Brazil hosts the
   Olympics.

   Line of succession

   The first in line to carry out the remaining two years of Rousseff's
   mandate would be Vice President Michael Temer of the Brazilian
   Democratic Movement, whom Rousseff has accused of being part of the
   movement to remove her from office.

   Opposition to Rousseff has increased in recent months with accusations
   she illegally covered up government budget shortfalls in 2014 to
   increase her chances for reelection. Rousseff denies the accusations.

   Her critics blame her for the country's recession and a massive
   corruption scandal involving state oil company Petrobras.

   The 68-year-old leader was first elected in 2010, then again in 2014,
   continuing 13 years of leadership by the leftist Workers' Party.
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   rousseff-goes-on-trial/3290197.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/brazils-senate-to-determine-if-dilma-rousseff-goes-on-trial/3290197.html