Brazil's President Michel Temer appeared to win a reprieve Sunday when a key coalition partner cancelled a meeting on whether to withdraw support for him over an explosive corruption scandal.
Temer has been fighting for his political life since being placed under investigation for allegedly obstructing a corruption probe by paying hush money to jailed former speaker of the house Eduardo Cunha.
On Sunday, the key ally to his center-right PMDB party, the PSDB social democrats, was scheduled to meet on deciding whether to remain loyal. Withdrawal by the PSDB could have been a death knell for Temer's government.
However, less than five hours before the start of the meeting, a spokesman for the party told AFP it was cancelled.
"The information we have is that there will be no meeting today. We don't know when it will happen," the spokesman said, giving no further explanation.
The decision not to meet gave a breathing space to Temer, who faces growing demands for his resignation or for an impeachment trial.
Temer is fighting back, saying that a secret audio recording incriminating him had been tampered with. The Supreme Court has agreed to examine his demand for the investigation to be suspended on Wednesday.
Brazil’s President Michel Temer appeared to win a reprieve Sunday when a key coalition partner cancelled a meeting on whether to withdraw support for him over an explosive corruption scandal.
Temer has been fighting for his political life since being placed under investigation for allegedly obstructing a corruption probe by paying hush money to jailed former speaker of the house Eduardo Cunha.
On Sunday, the key ally to his center-right PMDB party, the PSDB social democrats, was scheduled to meet on deciding whether to remain loyal. Withdrawal by the PSDB could have been a death knell for Temer’s government.
However, less than five hours before the start of the meeting, a spokesman for the party told AFP it was cancelled.
“The information we have is that there will be no meeting today. We don’t know when it will happen,” the spokesman said, giving no further explanation.
The decision not to meet gave a breathing space to Temer, who faces growing demands for his resignation or for an impeachment trial.
Temer is fighting back, saying that a secret audio recording incriminating him had been tampered with. The Supreme Court has agreed to examine his demand for the investigation to be suspended on Wednesday.
