Impeachment trial against Rousseff recommended to senate

RIO DE JANEIRO - A senator picked as an investigator by the Brazilian Senate's special impeachment commission recommended Wednesday that President Dilma Rousseff be put on trial for possible impeachment once "all the legal requisites" are met.

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff speaks during a launch ceremony of Agricultural and Livestock Plan for 2016/2017, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil May 4, 2016.  [Photo/Agencies]

In a 126-page report submitted to the commission after completing an investigation into the accusations against Rousseff, Senator Antonio Anastasia said "the accusations meet the legal requirements laid down by the law, especially by the Constitution."

Therefore, Anastasia, senator of the opposition Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), said he supported the launch of an impeachment process and the allocation of a timeframe for Rousseff to answer the accusations.

On Friday, the 21-member commission will listen to cases for and against impeachment and officially vote on whether to recommend the Senate press ahead or not.

After the committee's non-binding recommendation, which is considered very likely by analysts to favor a trial, the Senate will hold a full vote where a simple majority, or 41 of 81 senators, in favor of impeachment would start the trial and force Rousseff to step aside for up to 180 days, with Vice President Michel Temer stepping in.

If Rousseff is finally impeached, later with a two-thirds majority of the Senate, Temer will complete his mandate until January 1, 2019.