MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) has called on the country’s Congress to reject government accounts after ruling that President Dilma Rousseff broke the law by manipulating the 2014 budget.
The ruling, adopted unanimously by eight judges on Wednesday, is the first time in almost 80 years that TCU rejected the accounts of Brazil’s head of state.
The ruling is not legally binding and it is now up to Brazil’s Congress to reject or accept the government accounts.
"Outras Palavras" editor Antonio Martins told Sputnik that the TCU ruling is politically motivated and is "driven by conservative forces" unhappy with the leftist president. The ruling will be "undoubtedly" used by the conservative opposition to relaunch a campaign in favour of Rousseff’s impeachment, possible in case Congress follows the court’s recommendations, Martins said.
Dilma Rousseff, 67, is facing a wave of discontent over a struggling economy and corruption scandals.
Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets across the country in recent months demanding Rousseff's impeachment.
In March, the first wave of protests against the government of Rousseff brought together at least 500,000 people becoming the largest political demonstration registered in Brazil since 1984.
