Rousseff’s woes mount as largest Brazilian party quits coalition

Brazil's largest party announced on Tuesday it is leaving President Dilma Rousseff's governing coalition in a move that cripples her fight against impeachment proceedings in Congress.

The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) decided at a leadership meeting that its six remaining ministers in Rousseff's Cabinet and all other party members with government appointments must resign or face ethics proceedings.

Under Brazil's presidential system, Rousseff will continue in office but the break sharply raises the odds that she will be impeached by Congress in a matter of months, which would put Vice President Michel Temer, leader of the PMDB, in the presidential seat.

The opposition is pressing to impeach Rousseff for allegedly breaking budget laws. Their efforts gained steam as Brazilians have grown frustrated with the worst recession in decades and a vast corruption scandal reaching the president's inner circle.

Rousseff has denied any wrongdoing and called the impeachment efforts a coup.

Rousseff cancels US trip due to crisis

Shortly after the PMDB’s announcement, two Brazilian officials told Reuters that Rousseff had canceled a trip to a nuclear security summit in Washington due to the deepening political crisis.

"Since she accepted the invitation, things have changed radically. She will stay home to deal with the ongoing crisis," said one of the officials, who asked not to be named because the information was not yet public.

The loss of Rousseff's main coalition partner may prompt smaller parties to abandon the government, leaving Brazil's first female president increasingly isolated as the impeachment process nears its first vote as soon as mid April.

A recent poll by the respected Datafolha agency says 68 percent of people surveyed want to see lawmakers vote to impeach Rousseff.

Investors weary of Rousseff's interventionist economic policies and a deepening recession have cheered the prospect of her ouster, boosting Brazil's currency 8 percent this year as the benchmark Bovespa stock index rose 19 percent. 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)

Date created : 2016-03-2