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Brazil's Senate President Under Mounting Pressure To
Step Down
Rio de Janeiro - More opposition parties in Brazil
on Tuesday called on Senate President Jose Sarney to
step down, adding pressure on him to leave the
position over alleged involvement in a political
scandal.
Leaders of the Democrats party (DEM) requested
Sarney to step down while being investigated.
The DEM's decision comes as a surprise, as the
party's support has been decisive for Sarney to be
elected for a third term as head of the Senate in
February.
Sarney, who had also been Brazil's president from
1985 to 1990, is accused of participating in a big
political scandal concerning illegal nomination of
several of his relatives to public positions.
The Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB) and the
Democratic Labor Party (PDT) also called on Sarney
to leave the position, following request from the
opposition Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL).
The Senator is still supported by his Democratic
Movement Party (PMDB) and President Luiz Inacio Lula
da Silva's Workers' Party (PT). It is not known,
however, whether the two parties' support will be
enough to keep him in office.
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