Brazil's Attorney General appeals to Supreme Court to annul Rousseff's impeachment

Brazil's Attorney General's Office appealed on Tuesday to the Federal Supreme Court in a bid to annul the impeachment process against President Dilma Rousseff.

The Attorney General, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, will give a news conference later on the day to explain the details of the appeal to the highest court.

In the Federal Supreme Court, an interim decision regarding the appeal will be made by one of the members of the court chosen at random. However, it can not be decided by the chief justice, Ricardo Lewandowski.

Since the Senate will vote Wednesday on the impeachment case, the court is expected to give its response later on Tuesday about the appeal.

The document, elaborated by Rousseff's defenders, questions the president's dismissal process brought forward by the now suspended President of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house), Eduardo Cunha, due to her alleged "misuse of powers." She has denied any wrongdoing.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on Wednesday on the motion to open an impeachment trial against the president.

Only a simple majority, or 41 out of 81 votes, is required for the Senate to greenlight impeachment proceedings, and the opposition most likely has more than enough votes.

Should that happen, the president would have to step aside, leaving Vice President Michel Temer in power for up to six months during her trial. A final Senate trial would require a two-thirds majority to impeach Rousseff. Endit