Decisive Week For Brazil’s President Temer, and Neves

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Decisions which will affect the political lives of some of Brazil’s most prominent politicians are expected to keep Brasilia busy this week, as a Chamber of Deputies commission votes on whether to accept charges against President Michel Temer.

Another key vote will be on the latest decision by the country’s Supreme Court, which may reverse the suspension of Senator Aecio Neves.

On Tuesday the Commission on Constitution and Justice in the Lower House is expected to start discussions on whether or not to accept a recommendation that the latest charges against the Brazilian President as well as his Chief of Staff, Eliseu Padilha, and General Secretariat, Moreira Franco, for obstruction of justice be rejected.

“A telephone call between party leaders was considered a crime,” said one of the defense attorneys on the case. “I am shocked that these phone calls have been used to prove anything but the leaders are working,” said Daniel Gueber, Padilha’s attorney.

Representatives will have a chance to defend their point of view and the voting session by commission members is expected to be held on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday. Regardless of the commission’s results the issue will go before the entire Lower House next week for a plenary vote.

The week is also decisive for Senator Aecio Neves, who was suspended from his Congressional seat by the country’s Supreme Court in late September. The Court, however, ruled last week that sitting lawmakers cannot be removed from office without the endorsement of the Brazilian Congress.

With the latest decision the Brazilian Senate is expected to discuss whether or not to accept the Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the former Presidential candidate. According to analysts it is likely that the Senate will reverse the Court’s decision and Neves will return to the Upper House.