Rousseff boosted by court rulings

Brazil’s Supreme Court handed embattled president Dilma Rousseff two victories in rulings that improve her chances of blocking an impeachment bid by opponents seeking to oust the unpopular leftist leader.

The judges voted to give the senate the authority to review the grounds for Rousseff’s impeachment, even if the lower house votes to impeach her for allegedly breaching budget laws last year. A majority of the court also ruled against the validity of a secret lower house ballot last week that stacked an impeachment committee with her opponents, forcing the selection of its members to be redone in open vote.

Rousseff’s opponents argued that the senate must automatically suspend the president and begin a trial as soon as the lower house votes by a two-thirds majority to proceed with the impeachment. A trial could last six months.

The president stands a better chance of blocking impeachment in the senate, her last line of defence.

The supreme court also agreed the senate can admit or reject impeachment by a simple majority, rather than a two thirds majority, potentially making it easier for Rousseff to have a proceeding thrown out.