Dilma Rousseff confident of surviving impeachment vote

Brasilia, April 14: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said she is confident that her supporters will deny the opposition the votes needed to bring her impeachment case to the upper house of parliament.

If she wins, Rousseff would propose a new pact among all the political forces to establish a unity government, the Brazilian leader told a press conference in Brasilia on Wednesday.

Should two-thirds of the lawmakers in the House of Deputies vote in favour of her impeachment on Sunday, Rousseff said she "would not interfere", Xinhua news agency reported.

However, she also did not rule out the possibility of lodging an appeal to the Supreme Court against the result.

The president also denounced "a conspiracy aiming to bring about a coup in Brazil," led by Vice President Michel Temer and Eduardo Cunha, president of the chamber of deputies.

Both men are from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), a key coalition partner of Rousseff's left-leaning Workers' Party.

The chamber will start the debate on her impeachment on Friday morning, and the process will last until the crucial vote set on Sunday.

For the impeachment proceedings to move forward, 342 of the 513 lawmakers, or 67 percent, will have to vote in favour. If not, the proceedings will be shelved.

IANS