Brazil decides to suspend and impeach Collor

BRASILIA (Reuter) - Brazil's Congress passed a Bill yesterday to strip President Fernando Collor de Mello of his power and open an impeachment trial in the Senate on corruption charges.

Impeachment forces had surpassed the required two-thirds majority, or 336 votes, in the roll-call vote in the lower house of Congress, before all the votes were counted.

With the measure passed, Mr Collor will be suspended from office and lose all power for six months while the 81-member Senate tries him on charges that he profited from a money-for-favours racket run by his former aides.

As the Congress met to vote on impeachment, the army was put on maximum alert. Thousands massed in rallies demanding a vote against the president.

Impeachment process, page 13