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Things you need to know about Rousseff's impeachment

Xinhua, April 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, the lower house of parliament, has gave the green light to impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff. Following are frequently asked questions about Rousseff's impeachment.

Q: What is next after the chamber's Sunday decision?

A: The impeachment motion will go to the country's Senate, which will decide, with a simple majority vote, whether to put Rousseff on trial.

Q: In what scenarios will Rousseff be removed from office?

A: If a simple majority approves the motion in the Senate, Rousseff will be suspended for 180 days to defend herself in an impeachment trial. After the trial, the Senate will vote for the second time where Rousseff will be permanently removed from office. She will lose her job if two-thirds of the Senate vote yes; otherwise she will be reinstated.

Q: Who will take Rousseff's position?

A: Vice President Michel Temer would take over as head of state in the 180 days of Rousseff's suspension. If Rousseff is permanently removed from office, Temer will serve out the remainder of the her term, which runs through the end of 2018.

Q: Why is Rousseff being impeached?

A: Rousseff is charged with tampering the state budget, which many legal analysts view as "insubstantial." Some of the lawmakers also claim that Rousseff was involved in a corruption scheme at state oil company Petrobras. But these accusations are not part of the impeachment charges. Rousseff has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Endi