Temer: impeachment proceedings against Rousseff weakened

Running a campaign for the presidency of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Vice-President Michel Temer talked again about unity this Friday (Jan. 29), this time in Paraíba. Temer said the disunited sectors of society affect the country. "We have to take responsibility for the country and, for that reason, we propose to seek peace among all sectors of society," he said.

According to him, the PMDB wants to help the country overcome the political and economic crisis. "The country is at stake, no longer a party or the government," he stated. Temer said the possibility of President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment has weakened. "Some time ago, they [the proceedings] had more strength, more consistency. But currently I think they lack consistency," he said.

The vice-president defended the bill to bring back the old Temporary Tax on Financial Transactions (CPMF) as a "exceptional and temporary" measure. Rousseff has also defended bringing back the old tax during the meeting of the Council for Economic and Social Development (CDES), as the best option to solve the government's problems at the moment and that the old tax would be "strictly temporary".

On Thursday (Jan. 28), the vice-president began a series of trips around the country, campaigning for the PMDB's presidency. The decision on the party's president will be taken at the party's National Convention, scheduled for March.

In Paraíba, Temer said that the PMDB has "extraordinary power" over the country, and holds the presidency of both congressional houses with Eduardo Cunha at the Chamber of Deputies and Renan Calheieros in Senate, and deserves to take over the presidency in 2018. "I long for the PMDB to have a candidate to run for the presidency." said Temer.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta

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