PMDB supports appeal against rights granted to Rousseff
The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), President Michel Temer's party and the largest of the government's coalition, decided to support and sign the petition to be filed today (Sep. 2) by lawyers of Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) to the Supreme Court (STF), asking for the annulment of the second vote of President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment trial.
The writ of mandamus argues that when she was sentenced by Senate and lost her presidential mandate, Rousseff should also automatically lose her political rights and would be ineligible for eight years.
On Wednesday (Aug. 31), Workers' Party senators proposed an amendment to vote separately the former president's loss of political rights, which was supported by Senate President Renan Calheiros, one of PMDB's great leaders. To win, the loss of political rights had to be voted by at least 54 senators, a two-third majority. However, only 42 votes were cast in favor, 36 against, and 3 abstentions.
The petition is signed by PSDB, DEM, PPS and now PMDB—which had a large part of the Senate's bench voting for the maintenance of Dilma Rousseff's political rights.
According to the advisory office of the party's president, Senator Romero Jucá, the decision to sign the petition was made by the party and is not related to Michel Temer's government.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: PMDB supports appeal against rights granted to Rousseff