The scene is Brazil. Impeachment to the president split the country into supporters and opponents. Burning tires, tear gases - all this is a consequence of this process. The former president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, did not stand aside. She declared the impeachment illegal. An appeal was filed with the Supreme Court. What will happen next in a Latin American country called Brazil? Will impeachment to the president affect the BRICS organization, which includes our country? Let's try to figure this out.
What is impeachment
Impeachment is a legal resolution of an internal political conflict in a country, an official (legal) procedure for the removal of state leaders from office. In other words, this is the dismissal of the president. In the presidential republics, and Brazil is precisely what she is, the head of state is the highest official. He is elected in the election. However, there are situations when the president has a clear anti-state policy. What to do in such a situation if the majority of citizens choose it? For this, in democratic countries there is an impeachment procedure when other elected bodies of power (Parliament, Senate, Seimas, etc.) have the right to remove it.
Impeachment is a rather complicated procedure. In most countries, including our country, the lower house of parliament must initiate it by a majority vote. Further, all branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial) should approve this.
Features of the impeachment procedure in Brazil
Impeachment to the President of Brazil (voting and further procedure) begins with the lower house of deputies. This is enshrined in the Constitution of the country, in force since 1988. Any citizen may apply. Suspension can be made for serious offenses:
- criminal offenses;
- attempt on the foundations of the state and on the free exercise of the functions of branches of power;
- violation of human rights;
- fraud, misuse of budget money;
- other violations of budget legislation (namely, recent violations).
The last two items from the list served as the basis for the removal of Dilma Rousseff.
After the petition is submitted to the lower house, a special parliamentary commission is assembled, consisting of all factions. She reviews the charge and makes recommendations accordingly. Next is the vote. In the lower house of Brazil there are 513 deputies. It is necessary that 342. if the required number of deputies decides that an impeachment procedure is to be held, then the current president, according to the Constitution, should temporarily cease his duties. However, in December 2015, the Federal Supreme Court decided that only after the approval of the Senate of the country, the president should be removed. In this case, the vice president must act temporarily.
There are 81 votes in the Senate. 54 is necessary for a successful impeachment procedure. After that, the president ceases to be in office. However, he has the right to appeal to the Federal Supreme Court. If the president is still deprived of his authority, then he does not have the right to hold public office for eight years.
Brazil: impeachment to the president. How did it all start?
It seems that the crisis of the left anti-American forces in Latin America overtook Brazil. Why did they impeach the president of Brazil? The true causes may be hiding deeper. However, financial fraud and corruption suspicions served as an official reason. The president was accused of hiding the true size of the budget, thereby concealing the economic situation in the country so as not to lose votes in the elections. In addition, the opposition accused her of corruption schemes with one of the state companies, but her guilt was not proved.
In May 2016, the lower house removed Dilma Rousseff from office. On August 31, the Senate also voted by majority for her resignation. It was broadcast live on television. After the Senate declared the impeachment procedure legal, supporters of the ex-president and opponents took to the streets. Opinion polls show that most are still opponents. They are 68% of the population, but is it worth trusting opinion polls? The question is rhetorical. Naturally, there was no referendum on this matter. It is not provided for by the law of Brazil in a similar procedure.
Brazil: impeachment to the president. What's happening?
The Senate decision on this is not a final decision. The point in this case should be put by the Supreme Court. Dilma's lawyers prepared two appeals at once: one revealed numerous violations during the impeachment procedure, the other a violation of substantive law.
On September 9, 2016, an appeal took place. Judge Theory Zawaski declared impeachment legal. However, this is not the point. The final decision must be made by a plenary of 11 judges.
Impeachment or coup d'etat?
So, we will analyze the local legislation of a country called Brazil. Impeachment to the president can be carried out only for serious violations. The court did not recognize Dilm Rousseff as a criminal, therefore, they did not have the right to remove her. At least, supporters of the ex-president and her lawyers say so. The international community in the region fully agrees. Countries such as Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, can not understand the impeachment of the President of Brazil, for which he was held. Having understood the situation, they announced a coup.
Actively supported the resignation of the United States. This is not surprising. The USA always applies a double standard policy. For this country, any ally state is a real "bulwark of true democracy." Regimes in hostile countries, on the contrary, are “tyrannical and dictatorial.” Dilma Rousseff has proclaimed anti-American rhetoric. Therefore, any overthrow of her will be "legal, democratic and constitutional."
“We are not putschists”
“We are not putschists, ” the new president Michelle Temer, former deputy Dilma Rousseff, began his first ministerial meeting with this phrase. It seems that he wanted to impress this on himself and those present. Many citizens do not think so. Direct evidence was provided by the Folia di São Paulo newspaper. She published an audio recording of a conversation with the closest supporters of the new president. So, in a conversation of future ministers a few weeks before the lower house vote, phrases sounded that Dilma should leave voluntarily so that there would not be any unrest. Apparently, they assumed that the current president at that time would not simply give up his powers. From this conversation it was clear that many judges and generals support the coup and will do everything to make it happen.
Is the United States to blame?
The coup d'etat made Brazil "the largest stronghold of democracy." The country received such a high status from teachers of "true freedom" - the United States. WikiLeaks has published interesting documents. They show that the new foreign minister, Jose Serra, was a representative of American oil companies that want to extract oil in Brazil on favorable terms. Strange coincidence.
About the involvement of the United States in the domestic political conflict of Brazil says Luis Filipe Miguel, doctor of political sciences. He emphasized that there is a direct link between the conservatives of Latin America and the United States government, which saw the Left as a threat to total hegemony in the region.
Is Dilma Rousseff to blame?
I want to look at the problem objectively. Without political addiction. Even in our country, the assessment of impeachment is ambiguous: liberal media fully support the procedure, patriotic ones respond negatively. Let's try to figure out, is Dilma Rousseff innocent? What is the true reason for the impeachment of the president of Brazil?
The fact is that in the country for a long time there was high inflation associated with constant government loans at all levels. In the 1990s, tough laws were passed that limited the ability of the authorities to get loans, so a violation of budget policy in Brazil is considered serious.
The Rousseff government is accused of obliging state-owned banks and funds in advance, before the second presidential election in 2014, to pay social benefits to those in need, to finance an affordable housing program. What does it mean? In fact, social obligations began to be fulfilled, money came into the economy, it temporarily revived. At the same time, the budget deficit did not increase. Satisfied citizens chose Dilma Rousseff for a second term.
The Accounts Chamber recognized such actions as hidden state loans, and this is a serious crime. That is what served as the main reason for impeachment. In addition, Dilma Rousseff is accused of corruption with investment funds, oil companies.
The situation of the ex-president was aggravated by the fact that the country entered at the peak of the crisis. The decline in GDP for 2015 was the highest ever in the country's recent history - about 4%. Together with mass media propaganda, this provided support among many segments of the population. As a result, the impeachment of the president of Brazil was successfully held.
