The supporters were referring to the centrist interim president, who was once part of a coalition government with Rousseff and her party, but is looked at with suspicion now for encouraging and helping to arrange the impeachment of his former ally.
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“What we have today in Brazil is (on the one hand) a temporary government, an interim government, and (on the other) a president elected by 54 million people”.
He presided over the first meeting of his new business-friendly cabinet and set out its priorities including; creating a leaner government, balancing finances to address a crippling recession, and rooting out the corruption that has been uncovered at the highest levels of Brazilian politics and business by a huge judicial probe.
Meirelles was central bank president between 2003 and 2010.
“But I think that an illegitimate government will always require illegitimate mechanisms for remaining in power”, Rousseff told foreign correspondents at the Alvorada Palace, the president’s official residence, a day after the Senate voted to put her on trial for allegedly breaking budget laws. According to Meirelles, the government has to control expenditure to avoid the growth of public spending. “The sooner we are able to balance our books, the sooner we’ll be able to restart growth”.
Temer’s new cabinet was sworn in: 23 ministers, all men.
The adviser said the list “is provisional, and there will be more names”.
Following a special Senate session that began early Wednesday and lasted almost 22 hours, lawmakers voted to try Rousseff for inflating fiscal accounts in the lead-up to presidential elections that saw her reelected to a second term.
Joy Otuyinka reports that Temer spoke at the presidential headquarters of Planalto, just minutes after sitting president Dilma Rousseff vacated the offices.
“This is not a moment for celebrations, but one of profound reflection”, he said during a swearing-in ceremony for his 22 Cabinet members.
Ms Rousseff said it did not represent the country – one of the world’s most ethnically diverse nations. While she was never implicated, much of the alleged corruption happened during the 13 years that the Workers’ Party was in power.
In a televised speech Thursday, Rousseff called the impeachment movement a coup and warned that it would threaten key government welfare programs.
Speaking Thursday after the Senate’s impeachment vote, Rousseff said she would use “all legal means” in that effort.
However, his choice to lead the Social Development Ministry, Osmar Terra, acknowledged that could be tough.
“What President Michel is proposing is that those programs be the most sheltered (from cuts)”.
“Temer is going to face enormous polarization and a very angry and incredibly mobilized opposition”, said Matthew Taylor, associate professor at American University’s School of International Service and former instructor at the University of Sao Paulo. “The country is bankrupt”.
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He confirmed Temer would completely overhaul Rousseff’s cabinet, firing her ministers and naming a provisional list of at least 21 replacements – downsized from 32 under the suspended president.
