Brazil Senate notifies VP Temer of promotion to acting president

Brazil's Vice-President Michel Temer poses at the annex building of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 11, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

BRASILIA - Brazilian Vice-President Michel Temer on Thursday signed a Senate notice promoting him to acting president, after lawmakers voted to open impeachment proceedings against suspended President Dilma Rousseff.

Senate speaker Renan Calheiros issued the notice giving Temer the authority to serve as acting president for the duration of the impeachment trial, which can take a maximum of six months.

The Senate voted in the early hours of Thursday to try Rousseff for inflating fiscal accounts in the lead up to presidential elections that saw her reelected to a second term.

Many Brazilians feel the campaign to impeach Rousseff and oust her left-leaning ruling Workers' Party (PT) is politically driven by the conservative opposition, which lost the elections by a slim margin.

Brazil's political crisis will see Rousseff more than simply sidelined from the day-to-day affairs of government for the duration of the trial.

Temer, a member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), on Thursday signalled the country is under entirely new leadership by unveiling his handpicked cabinet. Largely comprised of members of his own party, it also includes members of Brazil's right-wing The Democrats (DEM) and the center-right Brazilian Labour Party (PTB).