MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Petition to impeach President Temer mostly symbolic but erodes his political standing

The impeachment demand by the PSOL is unlikely to be accepted. PSOL argues Temer committed crimes by allegedly interfering in a business dispute

Brazilian opposition party filed a petition for the impeachment of President Michel Temer, underlining the growing difficulties facing the centre-right leader as he tries to introduce austerity reforms.

 The impeachment demand filed on Monday by the PSOL, a small leftist party, was unlikely to be accepted, so had mostly symbolic significance. The PSOL argues that Temer committed crimes by allegedly interfering in a business dispute to aid a friend in his cabinet.

Temer denies any wrongdoing in the affair. Another impeachment request is expected from the Workers Party of Lula da Silva and removed president Dilma Rousseff, soon.

Temer's allies control both the lower house and Senate in Congress, meaning that even if an impeachment petition were ever put to the vote it would not pass.

However, the development is an embarrassment to Temer who came to power this year after the bitterly fought impeachment of president Dilma Rousseff, from the Workers' Party, for breaking government accounting rules.

The spat also comes as Temer is pushing a 20-year spending freeze as the first plank in reforms he says will help Brazil recover from its worst recession in decades. The Senate is slated to discuss and vote on the freeze this week.

On Sunday protesters massed in Brazil's largest city Sunday to call for Temer to be removed from office and express outrage at a host of his policies. Representatives from political parties and social movements also protested against the government's proposal to cap spending to rein in the deficit, which many fear will result in deep cuts to education and health care.

Others were protesting rampant corruption in politics, criticizing not just the current administration, while some complained about the lack of suitable housing. One group held up a banner with a drawing of Fidel Castro, paying homage to the Cuban revolutionary leader who died Friday night.