The government doesn’t rule out trying to block the Senate vote before the Supreme Court, Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo said before the Senate session started, adding that he would file a petition to Calheiros should he reject Maranhao’s decision.
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Maranhao, who was installed as interim head of the lower chamber after the suspension of Cunha, said a number of irregularities during the voting procedure led him to annul the April 17 vote. He said there were procedural flaws in the lower house vote.
The lower house reversal, announced just two days before the Senate is to vote on Wednesday, “is an untimely decision”, said Calheiros, and as such “cannot be accepted”.
The process was now expected to return to the lower house, which had earlier voted overwhelmingly to oust Rousseff.
About 70 per cent of Brazilian deputies voted last month against Rousseff, so dozens of lawmakers would have to change their minds about her impeachment in order for a future vote to break her in her favour.
It remained unclear whether Maranhao’s decision could be overruled by the Supreme Court, the Senate or a majority in the house.
However there was no immediate word from Renan Calheiros, the Senate president, who was reported to be meeting party leaders.
However, she denies allegations of wrongdoing, and insists that the impeachment is politically motivated.
‘I don’t know the consequences.
Senator Humberto Costa, from Ms Rousseff’s ruling Workers Party, expressed optimism that her presidency would be saved, saying: “this is a first step towards getting the impeachment annulled permanently”.
His decision, which caught off-guard investors betting on a more business-friendly government taking power imminently, roiled Brazilian financial markets. While polls have suggested broad public support for her impeachment, they have also pointed to widespread trepidation about who might replace her.
On Friday, a Senate Committee recommended before the vote, which had been planned for Wednesday, that Rousseff should be put on trial for breaking budget laws. Ministers have reportedly already been clearing their desks.
Many in Brazil had anticipated that would happen on Thursday, but now there is no clear date.
“To accept this messing around with democracy would be committing to delaying the process”, he said in Portuguese.
“It’s a decision that has no value”, he said.
The house speaker responded in a hasty press conference that his decision was supported by the constitution. “The process should continue normally”.
The political crisis comes on top of the deepest recession in decades in Latin America’s biggest economy, just three months before it hosts the Olympic Games in Rio from August 5 to 21. Markets have strengthened in recent weeks on expectations Vice President Michel Temer would take office and put austerity measures in place to better control public spending.
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Mr Temer, a center-right leader, has been alleged to have been involved in the Petrobras affair but he has not been formally investigated.
