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WORLD NEWS Saturday 10 June 2017

Brazil court weighs president’s fate in campaign funds case

By SARAH DiLORENZO change an electoral cam-
Associated Press paign.”
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s But Benjamin is expected
top electoral court began to be in the minority.
voting Friday on whether While he called for con-
to annul the 2014 elec- sideration of damaging
tion, amid signs it would new evidence that has
likely avoid a ruling that emerged from a three-year
could remove President Mi- investigation into politi-
chel Temer and cast Latin cal corruption, most of the
America’s largest nation judges have argued for ex-
into even deeper political cluding it. They have said
turmoil. the ruling should be based
So far, three judges on the on less-extensive allega-
Supreme Electoral Tribunal tions introduced when the
have voted against annul- case was filed almost three
ling the re-election of then- years ago. So far, all of the
President Dilma Rousseff judges who have voted
and Temer, then the vice against annulling the vic-
president, for campaign tory also argued for a more
finance violations. One of narrow examination of the
the seven has voted to an- evidence. One of them,
nul the victory. Napoleao Nunes Maia Fil-
While looking increasingly ho, defended his decision Brazil’s President Michel Temer receives military honors during ceremony of merit of the naval
unlikely, if the electoral by noting that democratic order, in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, June 9, 2017. Brazil’s top electoral court is preparing to vote on
court finds wrongdoing, elections should only be a decision that could force Temer from office. There are early hints the judges may absolve the
president and his 2014 campaign of illegal contributions.
Temer, who took over from overturned in the most ex- (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
Rousseff following her re- ceptional circumstances. push last year to remove Among the most dramatic embattled president is still
moval from office last year, “What we have to pre- Rousseff from power for came during the opening facing other threats rooted
could be pushed from pow- serve here is the popular violating budget laws — of the afternoon session in the corruption investi-
er himself. Both politicians vote,” he said. Columnist has reached a fever pitch. Friday, when a prosecutor gations that have shaken
could also be banned from Bernardo Mello Franco said There are near weekly pro- requested the disqualifica- the country, which is just
public office for eight years. the judges are using the ar- tests calling for Temer’s tion of one of the judges emerging from a grave
They deny the allegations gument that the new evi- ouster, frequent shouting who had once been a law- economic recession.
against them. dence is improper as cover matches in Congress, and yer for Rousseff and Maia Temer’s popularity has
Judge Herman Benjamin, to spare Temer. a simmering debate in the Filho decried articles in the plummeted since taking
who was appointed by the “Since it can’t defend the media over whether Temer press that linked him to a over for Rousseff, and he
court to examine and pres- 2014 election as clean, the will manage to finish out his corruption investigation. As is facing allegations he
ent the case, spent around court decided to sweep term. the tension in the chamber endorsed the payment of
nine hours describing evi- away the dirt,” he wrote in That atmosphere was re- rose, the court’s president hush money to a former
dence of illegal payments. a column for the Folha de flected in the courtroom, called a brief break. lawmaker convicted of
“These are not tiny S.Paulo newspaper. where there have been Even if the court decides to corruption and possibly re-
amounts,” he said, “There The political turmoil in Bra-
are amounts that can zil — that began with the several tense moments. leave Temer in power, the ceived bribes himself. q
Mexico governors’ elections headed toward court appeals

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Oppo- the results from at least five Gomez would have won. The State of Mexico is the wracked northern border
sition parties vowed Friday districts in the State of Mexi- “These are the most outly- country’s most populous state of Coahuila.
to challenge the results of co where he claimed there ing regions, where there is state, and surrounds Mexi- The state’s electoral au-
two hotly contested gov- was fraud. the most poverty, the most co City. State electoral au- thorities had provided very
ernorship elections in Mex- Morena leader Andres violence,” Lopez Obrador thorities said Thursday that incomplete preliminary
ico after final vote counts Manuel Lopez Obrador said. “There, the majority of final vote counts showed vote counts, leading to ac-
showed wins for the ruling said he didn’t want to votes were bought.” the PRI’s candidate had cusations of fraud.
Institutional Revolutionary overturn all the results of Unlike the 2006 presidential won by about 2.8 percent. A more final vote tally
Party. An opposition coali- last Sunday’s governorship elections, in which Lopez Also Friday, the conserva- showed the PRI candidate
tion won in a third race. elections, nor does he want Obrador led street protests tive National Action Party had won by 2.4 percent,
The leader of the leftist a new vote. He said that if against alleged fraud, his vowed to challenge final but opposition candidates
Morena party said Friday the five allegedly invalid party did not announce vote counts showing the say there were irregulari-
his group would file ap- districts were thrown out, any demonstrations in the PRI held on to the gover- ties in the handling of ballot
peals seeking to overturn Morena candidate Delfina State of Mexico. norship of the scandal- boxes.q