Michel Temer presents defense to action of objection of elective office

Vice-President Michel Temer's lawyers conducted on Wednesday (Feb. 10) his defense to the action of objection of elective office (AIME), filed to challenge his elective mandate, requesting the ouster of the vice-president and of President Dilma Rousseff, based on allegations of electoral crimes committed during the last presidential campaign. The lawsuit was issued by the Coalition “Muda Brasil” (“Changes for Brazil” in an unofficial translation), which had Senator Aécio Neves as its presidential candidate.

In addition to Dilma Rousseff and Michel Temer, the lawsuit has also involved the Coalition “Com a Força do Povo” (“Powered by People” in an unofficial transtation)—which has elected Dilma Rousseff—, the Workers' Party (PT), and the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB).

Lawyer Flávio Caetano, who was the coalition campaign's central director, is responsible for conducting the legal defenses, which, according to him, "even though have been separately mounted and by different lawyers, have been jointly discussed."

In the AIME, the Coalition “Muda Brasil” accuses the ruling coalition of committing irregularities, like abuse of political and economic power and fraud, higher campaign expenditures than reported, financing for election campaign from official donations made by corporations hired by Petrobras as part of the kickback payment, and massive electoral advertising carried out by funds managed by trade unions.

According to Flávio Caetano, the defense strategy will be the same for the five defendants. He noted that the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) "has absolved both Rousseff and Temer from the responsibility for the case of the TV advertising with the help given by trade unions and from reporting alleged cosmetic accounting practices. All this has been analyzed by specific actions filed at the electoral court, and they have all been sentenced, at most, in our favor. "

For the cases related to the campaign's collection and expenditures, Caetano explains: "Everythig had been approved by the court in the accounting. In this case, we have unanimously won by 7 votes to 0, we were even supported by a positive recommendation from the Public Prosecution Office."

The lawyer also noted that the allegations about "possible illicit money donations", which include companies investigated under Operation Car Wash by the Federal Police, have already been refuted by the defense counsel. He explains that these allegations "can only be examined by the Criminal Court, not by the Electoral Court."

Flávio Caetano said that all these actions filed by the PSDB show the party's "difficult to concede the defeat in polls. They have even raised suspicions that the electronic voting machines have rigged the elections."

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta

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