The Brazilian Senate will cast an “overwhelming” vote to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office in balloting that could occur as early as next week, a top official said Monday. In a radio interview, Brazilian Chief-of-Staff Eliseo Padilha said, “Conservatively, 61 senators will vote for removal (of Rousseff) but that figure could go as high as 63.” Only 54 votes in the 81-member Senate are needed to remove Rousseff permanently from power. In the event Rousseff is removed from office by the Senate, Temer will become President in his own right, serving out the remainder of the present term, which ends in 2018. Senate proceedings in the Rousseff case are set to begin Thursday. Rousseff is due to speak in her own defense before the Senate next Monday. A final Senate vote could come a day or two later. In her own radio interview Monday, Rousseff vowed that she will not resign from the presidency before the final Senate vote. “I’m not going to give them (the Senators) a gift,” she said.
Link to UOL news agency release
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