Brazil's lower house elects new president

By Senabri Silvestre

SANTO DOMINGO, Dom. Rep. (AA) – Brazil’s lower house of Congress appointed Rodrigo Maia as its new president on Thursday, a week after the resignation of Eduardo Cunha who was suspended on corruption charges.

Maia, the right-leaning Democrats Party deputy, won the position with 285 from the 512-member chamber.

“We will govern with simplicity. We have much work to do, we need to dialogue,” Maia said after being elected.

Maia, who also enjoys the support of interim President Michel Temer, will direct the Chamber of Deputies until February 2017.

He is replacing the controversial Cunha, who resigned last week amid corruption accusations, but retained his seat in Congress.

Cunha launched impeachment process that could lead to the dismissal of the country’s president, Dilma Rousseff, who is currently suspended from office as she prepares to face a trial in the Senate after the Olympic Games are completed in August.

Cuhna initiated proceedings against Rousseff in December, accusing her of violating tax laws to hide deficits in the government finances.

Ironically, he is accused in a corruption case involving state-run oil giant Petrobras that could result in the loss of his seat in Congress.