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Rousseff cabinet in the balance amid minister’s resignation
April 1, 2016, 8:41 pm

A federal judge in Brasilia issued an injunction to suspend Lula's appointment to Rousseff's cabinet saying it could impede ongoing corruption investigations [Xinhua]

A federal judge in Brasilia issued an injunction to suspend Lula’s appointment to Rousseff’s cabinet saying it could impede ongoing corruption investigations [Xinhua]


Brazil’s sports minister has resigned two days after his former party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB), withdrew from a coalition led by the ruling Workers Party, headed by President Dilma Rousseff.

When it withdrew from the coalition, the PMDB said that none of its members could serve in Rousseff’s cabinet.

Sports Minister George Hilton at first quit the PMDB in a bid to keep his job. However, on Thursday, he asked to step down just after 15 months on the job and four months ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Rousseff has said that Hilton will be replaced with a military official.

While the resignation is unlikely to affect the preparations for the Olympics in August, it – coupled with the PMDB withdrawal from the governing coalition – is seen by many as a blow to Rousseff’s grip on power.

Later this month, Rousseff will face a Congressional hearing into calls for her impeachment for her alleged involvement in a scandal involving energy giant Petrobras.

She has said she will not step down as president and that efforts to impeach her amount to a coup d’etat to overthrow a democratically elected government.

Meanwhile, six other PMDB ministers in Rousseff’s cabinet may resign in coming days.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies