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Brazil's Rousseff in crisis as main political ally leaves govt

Xinhua, March 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), led by Vice President Michel Temer, announced Tuesday its decision to leave President Dilma Rousseff's government, depriving her of major coalition ally, Brazilian press reported.

This leaves Rousseff in deep trouble with a number of ministers leaving her Workers' Party (PT) government and increases the chances of her impeachment moving forward in the Chamber of Deputies.

The decision, which was announced by Senator Romero Juca, the PMDB's vice president, was met with applauses in a meeting in Brasilia, according to daily O Globo.

Standing beside Juca was Chamber of Deputies President Eduardo Cunha, who authorized the opening of impeachment proceedings in December while he himself was facing corruption charges at the Supreme Court.

This decision will see the PMDB ministers overseeing the areas of tourism, civil aviation, mines and energy, ports, science and technology, and agriculture, leave the government. Temer did not attend the meeting and has said he will not leave his position as Vice President.

Temer's decision is being interpreted by government loyalists as self-interested since he would be next in the line of succession, should Rousseff be impeached.

After the decision was announced, PMDB leader chanted "PT out" and "Temer for President".

On Monday, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had said he would be speaking with certain PMDB leaders to try and tempt some of the party to stay in the government.

The government would need at least 172 votes in the Chamber of Deputies to sink any impeachment attempt. With the support of the PMDB, it could reach this total. Should the PMDB decides to back impeachment, the government's coalition would only seem to have 123 guaranteed votes left. Political analysts have also stated that the PMDB's decision could cause a domino effect, leading other smaller parties to jump ship.

On the heels of this decision, Senator Aecio Neves, leader of the opposition Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), stated that his party would be willing to form a government and cooperate with the PMDB, should Rousseff falls.

Speaking to the press, Neves said the PMDB's exit had "shut the lid" on the PT's time in government.

"Dilma's government is over. The PMDB's exit has shut the lid on a moribund government which does not offer the most basic conditions...to return to growth and create jobs," said Neves, who lost to Rousseff in the 2014 general election. Enditem