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Brazilian finance minister defends president against impeachment request

Xinhua, April 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

Brazilian Finance Minister Nelson Barbosa on Thursday presented President Dilma Rousseff's defense to a commission which is considering the request to impeach her.

The government and Rousseff should not be accused of fiscal irresponsibility, which is the basis of the impeachment request, Barbosa told the Chamber of Deputies commission.

After taking office in 2011, Rousseff for years delayed the payment of billions of dollars to lenders that advanced money to popular social programs.

The payment delays, condemned by critics as artificially bolstering government accounts so as to improve her re-election chances in 2014, led to a request to impeach the president one year into her second term.

Barbosa argued that the maneuvers were not illegal as they followed the instructions of the Federal Accounts Court at the time.

The finance minister said payment delays were common in the country, which previous federal administrations had also resorted to.

In addition, Barbosa stressed that Rousseff's administration should not be accused of fiscal irresponsibility when it was carrying out "the largest budget curtailment in Brazilian history."

A recent Ibope poll showed that Rousseff is currently facing a disapproval rate of 69 percent.

The embattled president has been left dangerously isolated after the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, the main coalition partner for her Workers' Party, announced on Tuesday that it was pulling out and would support impeachment.

Should the commission find it necessary to begin an impeachment process, its findings will be presented to the Chamber of Deputies. A two-thirds majority of deputies, or 342 out of 513, will have to vote to open proceedings. However, the Senate would ultimately be in charge.

If the Senate decides to proceed, a two-thirds majority, or 54 out of 81 senators, is needed for an impeachment. Endi