Brazilian President: Opponents lack legal basis for impeachment

Me disseram há pouco que correu um boato de que eu estava internada, vocês acham que eu estava? #presidenta #Dilma #PlanoSafra #AgriculturaFamiliar

A photo posted by Dilma Rousseff (@dilmarousseff) on Jun 22, 2015 at 11:15am PDT

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff says her opponents’ bid to impeach her has no legal basis since there are no charges against her.

She was speaking at the opening of a metro station in the northeastern city of Salvador.

Rousseff also said a country cannot resort to impeachment just because it does not like its president and that Brazil should focus on restoring economic growth and creating jobs.

“Impeachment in itself is not considered a coup because this is stated in our constitution. It becomes a coup when there is no legal basis to open impeachment proceedings. Why is there no legal basis? There is no legal basis because I have an honest life. In my past and in the present there is not a single confirmed accusation against me.”

After #Brazil Supreme Court handed pres #Rousseff partial victory over impeachment process, Congress budget committee member hands + boost

— Rodney Gollo (@gollrrg) December 23, 2015

Last week, Brazil’s Supreme Court suspended impeachment proceedings against Rousseff.

Justice Luiz Edson Fachin, whom Rousseff appointed to the court in June, said in his decision that the suspension of the impeachment proceedings was needed “to avoid acts that could eventually be invalidated by the Supreme Court.”

The impeachment process has created political uncertainty and deepened a recession in the country.