“Parties made a mistake in questioning Dilma Rousseff’s political rights”, says Janaína Paschoal

Lawyer and former state deputy Janaína Paschoal, author of the request for impeachment of former president Dilma Rousseff, said this Friday (22) that she felt “disrespected” for not having been consulted on the initiatives that questioned political rights of the former representative. The statement was made to People’s Gazetteafter the Federal Supreme Court (STF) formed a majority against the suspension of the political rights of Dilma Rousseff (PT).

“The parties made a mistake in questioning, as did the movements that, at the time, went to the STF to annul the trial. As a complainant and lawyer in the process, I confess that I felt disrespected, as I was not even consulted before these initiatives”, it says.

When reading the votes of ministers Alexandre de Moraes and Rosa Weber, Janaína mentions that although “they follow other paths, in the end, they are recognizing the sovereignty of the Senate and, in this sense, they are absolutely correct”. “The Federal Supreme Court could not even change what was defined by the natural judge of the case”, she declares.

The trial on Dilma Rousseff’s political rights began on September 15th and takes place in the STF’s virtual plenary session, where ministers simply cast their votes. They analyze six actions that call for the suspension of the PT member’s political rights. So far, the score is six votes to zero.

Last week, the president of the Court and rapporteur of the case, minister Rosa Weber, voted against the actions. The judge pointed out that impeachment is a political process and the STF should not interfere in the Senate’s decision. Ministers followed Weber’s understanding: Alexandre De Moraes, Cármen Lúcia, Edson Fachin, Dias Toffoli and Cristiano Zanin. The trial runs until 11:59 pm this Friday (22).

The votes of ministers Gilmar Mendes, Luiz Fux, Luís Roberto Barroso, André Mendonça and Nunes Marques are missing. The writs of mandamus asking for the suspension of the former president’s political rights were filed by the PSL, PSDB, Rede Sustentabilidade, senator Magno Malta (PL-ES), former senator Álvaro Dias (Podemos-PR) and deputy José Medeiros (PL-MT).