Suspension of impeachment proceedings provides Brazil's Rousseff respite

The temporary suspension of the impeachment proceedings against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has provided respite for the deeply troubled government, but Rousseff is not off the hook yet.

Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended impeachment proceedings against Rousseff until it rules on Dec. 16 the validity of a secret ballot that stacked a congressional committee with opponents seeking to oust the leftist leader.

The Supreme Court made the decision to analyze a request from a congressman who alleged that Eduardo Cunha, president of the Chamber of Deputies, was not respecting the legitimate process of impeachment and was, instead, changing rules to ensure a committee more likely to decide the continuation of the impeachment proceedings.

With the impeachment process paralyzed, the government will have some time to digest recent developments such as a letter written by Vice President Michel Temer to Rousseff, in which he complains about being underused and even isolated in the administration.

Though the letter was regarded as whiny and opportunistic, it revealed an appalling rift between Rousseff and Temer, head of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, the biggest party in Rousseff's governing coalition.

Rousseff and Temer had a meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss about the matter, but it is unknown whether the meeting will serve to strengthen the unity in the government or put even more distance between Rousseff and her vice president.

Besides, Rousseff is dealing with a severe recession in the country and a widening corruption investigation at state-run oil company Petrobras that has implicated many of her allies. Endi