Special committee created to evaluate impeachment request

Lower House Speaker Eduardo Cunha led the creation of a special committee at the lower house to evaluate the impeachment request against President Dilma Rousseff. The 65-member committee has been created, after Cunha read, in plenary, his decision to accept initiating impeachment proceedings on Thursday (Dec. 3).

Cunha imposed the deadline for Monday (Dec. 7) at 14h for parties to appoint their representatives on the committee. It will be formed according to the proportionality of each party's bench, and each party shall have its representatives. Thus, the Workers' Party (PT) and the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB)—the largest benches—will have eight seats each.

In addition to the 65 committee's , other 65 deputies will be appointed to be alternate , following the same parties' proportion of the full . The committee's will be appointed in a single ticket during a plenary session scheduled for Monday at 18h.

The election of the committee's chairman and rapporteur will be on Tuesday (Dec. 8) morning. The committee may also elect vice-presidents. The committee's chairman will coordinate the works and the rapporteur will be responsible for producing the recommendation to be voted by the committee and then by the lower house's plenary.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta