Brazilian gov't awaits ruling by Congress on 2014 fiscal reports

Brazil's government is now focusing on a future congressional ruling on the 2014 fiscal reports, and considers the rejection by the country's audit court (TCU) a thing of the past, the country's defense minister said Thursday.

On Wednesday, the TCU unanimously rejected the government's accounts for 2014, saying that the government had violated fiscal responsibility laws in last year's fiscal reports.

Defense Minister Jaques Wagner said President Dilma Rousseff certainly would have preferred a different decision from the TCU, but considered the matter a done deal and that the government would focus on the congressional ruling on the matter.

The TCU does not have the last say regarding fiscal reports, but its position serves as a guideline to the Congress, which has a right to accept or refuse the court's recommendation, and ultimately decides on the matter.

Eduardo Cunha, speaker of the lower house of Congress, said the accounts may be voted on next year.

Though Rousseff's coalition has the majority in both houses of Congress, there is a real and justified fear that some may vote against the government, as many representatives from coalition parties have openly declared their opposition.

In a move to ensure Congress' support to pass bills and overcome the political tension which has dominated the political scene in Brasilia in the past few months, Rousseff has carried out a widespread cabinet reform, in which the presence of coalition parties in the cabinet was increased.

The reform may appease the allies, but it remains unknown whether it will be able to gather the necessary support for the government's actions.

The opposition celebrated the TCU's ruling as they believed the decision represents a concrete fact against Rousseff, which may provide a legal base for the impeachment process that opponents have been trying to start for months.

However, Wagner does not believe the TCU's ruling will help impeach Rousseff.

"I do not see how a ruling which has not even been voted on yet can serve as proof of anything," he said, adding that under Brazilian law, impeachments must be based on facts that occurred during the current administration.

Rousseff was re-elected last year and her current term started in January 2015. Endi