Rousseff urges Supreme Court to annul impeachment proceedings

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff Friday called on the Federal Supreme Court to annul proposed impeachment proceedings against her pursued by political opponents.

Opposition parties are striving to unseat Rousseff by launching impeachment proceedings against her, accusing her of violating fiscal laws and manipulating government finances to benefit her reelection campaign last year.

Earlier this week, the court suspended impeachment proceedings authorized by President of the Chamber of Deputies Eduardo Cunha, until it rules next Wednesday the validity of a secret ballot that stacked a congressional committee with opponents seeking to oust Rousseff.

The proceedings should be invalidated as the law states she should have been given the opportunity to begin mounting a legal defense before Cunha opened proceedings, Rousseff told a press conference.

Cunha of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) has been accused by Rousseff's ruling Workers' Party (PT) of squirreling away millions overseas in secret Swiss bank accounts.

Rousseff also accused the opposition Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), allied itself with the PMDB for political gains, of masterminding the impeachment proceedings against her.

However, opponents said Rousseff's government broke fiscal laws to make public accounts look healthier.

Three major leaders of the PSDB, including former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, announced earlier Friday they were united in seeking Rousseff's impeachment. Endi