by James Tweedie

SUSPENDED Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has offered the prospect of early elections if the senate drops her prosecution.

Reading from an open letter “to the federal senate and Brazilian people” on Tuesday, Ms Rousseff pledged to hold a referendum on bringing forward elections from late 2018.

“I have listened to the tough criticisms of my government, for the errors committed,” she said. “I accept these criticisms with humility and determination so that we can build a new way forward.”

The Workers’ Party president insisted that impeachement, which would see Vice-President Michel Temer installed in her place, would be “an unequivocal coup, followed by an indirect election.”

She said: “The full restoration of democracy requires that the population be the one to decide,” adding: “It’s the only way out of the crisis.”

Ms Rousseff reiterated her rejection of her prosecution, due to begin next Thursday, for allegedly hiding increased spending on social programmes in the run-up to her 2014 re-election.

“There is no injustice more devastating than to condemn an innocent person,” she said.

“I have no secret bank accounts abroad, never stole a penny of public patrimony and I didn’t receive bribes from anyone.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court opened investigations into Ms Rousseff and her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva — who has vowed to stand for the presidency again at the next election — for allegedly obstructing the “Car Wash” probe into corruption at state oil firm Petrobras.

Mr Temer’s interim government and PMBD party have been revealed to be trying to derail the probe, in which leading members are accused.

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