Impeachment debate begins in the House
In a controversial decision, the President of the House Eduardo Cunha accepted the request for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.
Motivated by his political fragility, especially in the Ethics Committee, which is currently analyzing whether or not he broke the code of conduct, Eduardo Cunha's decision is an attempt to shift the spotlight towards the government. At the same time, it makes a gesture to the opposition, in an effort to gain some support for his future trial on the floor of the House.
For the opposition, the creation of the Special Committee to review the impeachment process is a great victory, putting a weakened government far into a corner.
The simple opening of the Committee's work is generating discomfort and additional wear on the President. This breaking news comes as an ingredient for a potential perfect storm, following the arrests of businessman José Carlos Bumlai, banker André Esteves and Senator Delcídio do Amaral. Furthermore, the beginning of this debate clutters the legislative agenda, and with it, the approval of important measures in the fiscal field, which will move even slower than before.
The government and its allies will try to question Cunha's decision at the Supreme Court, with the objective of buying time and weakening the process.
The impeachment process is born without the certainty of having enough votes for approval in the House. The opposition recognizes this uncertainty, but believes that the simple opening can generate enough momentum for its approval.
The initial phase of work is expected to last between 30 and 90 days from the installation of the Special Committee, whose composition will be proportional to the parties. In theory, the government forces will have control of the Committee.
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