Brazil’s Senate has finally voted to suspend Dilma Rousseff and begin an impeachment trial against her, ratcheting up tensions in a country which has witnessed intense squabbling and turmoil over the fate of a leader whose popularity has been on a steady decline. The Senate took the decision on Thursday morning after an all-night debate, and in a vote of 55 to 22, the lawmakers accepted the charges against Rousseff – that she borrowed from state banks to conceal a looming deficit, among others.
Michel Temer was sworn into office on Thursday as interim President, taking the country to the centre-right after 13 years of leftist Workers Party rule. Temer quickly started work on revving up the battered economy. After taking oath, he promptly unveiled an agenda of reforms, including cuts to public spending and pension reforms.
The crisis over Rousseff has been roiling the political waters of Brazil for some time at a time when the country badly needs political unity and a stable government to repair its badly mutilated economy. For independent observers, both sides are not without blemish. Michel Temer himself, who replaced Rousseff, has been convicted of violating campaign finance limits. But that doesn’t absolve Rousseff of responsibility for her commissions and omissions. She had a wonderful opportunity to lead her country up the path of economic progress but her image was tarnished by accusations of corruption and other malpractices. She has now vowed to fight the impeachment trial. But that should be through legal and democratic means, instead of choosing a path of confrontation. She must allow the law and the democratic process to take their course. Her popularity has declined and the margin against her in the Senate on Thursday shows that she has little chance of winning the trial and finishing the remaining two and a half years of her final term in office.
If Rousseff and her opponents continue their fight, it will only prolong the agony of the country and a compromise seems unlikely considering the depth of hatred and distrust between the two sides. But this is a crisis the country must overcome, which it will overcome. Temer must focus on rebuilding the economy, which is going through its worst period in decades, and steer away from the mistakes committed by his predecessor. Rousseff has the option of taking her grievances to the people. Meanwhile, the leaders need to show a face of unity because the Summer Olympics, which Rio de Janeiro is hosting, is just months away.
Brazil’s Senate has finally voted to suspend Dilma Rousseff and begin an impeachment trial against her, ratcheting up tensions in a country which has witnessed intense squabbling and turmoil over the fate of a leader whose popularity has been on a steady decline. The Senate took the decision on Thursday morning after an all-night debate, and in a vote of 55 to 22, the lawmakers accepted the charges against Rousseff – that she borrowed from state banks to conceal a looming deficit, among others.
Michel Temer was sworn into office on Thursday as interim President, taking the country to the centre-right after 13 years of leftist Workers Party rule. Temer quickly started work on revving up the battered economy. After taking oath, he promptly unveiled an agenda of reforms, including cuts to public spending and pension reforms.
The crisis over Rousseff has been roiling the political waters of Brazil for some time at a time when the country badly needs political unity and a stable government to repair its badly mutilated economy. For independent observers, both sides are not without blemish. Michel Temer himself, who replaced Rousseff, has been convicted of violating campaign finance limits. But that doesn’t absolve Rousseff of responsibility for her commissions and omissions. She had a wonderful opportunity to lead her country up the path of economic progress but her image was tarnished by accusations of corruption and other malpractices. She has now vowed to fight the impeachment trial. But that should be through legal and democratic means, instead of choosing a path of confrontation. She must allow the law and the democratic process to take their course. Her popularity has declined and the margin against her in the Senate on Thursday shows that she has little chance of winning the trial and finishing the remaining two and a half years of her final term in office.
If Rousseff and her opponents continue their fight, it will only prolong the agony of the country and a compromise seems unlikely considering the depth of hatred and distrust between the two sides. But this is a crisis the country must overcome, which it will overcome. Temer must focus on rebuilding the economy, which is going through its worst period in decades, and steer away from the mistakes committed by his predecessor. Rousseff has the option of taking her grievances to the people. Meanwhile, the leaders need to show a face of unity because the Summer Olympics, which Rio de Janeiro is hosting, is just months away.
