It was one of the topics discussed in Parliament, but it seems that the constitutional revision process will fail.
According to what DN has learned from a parliamentary source, the voting process would take place from January. But with the dissolution of the General Assembly, everything done so far falls to the ground. In fact, this committee was the only one active during the ongoing budget process (all others have been suspended as the budget discussion takes priority).
Last Friday, the parliamentary leaders of PS (Eurico Brilhante Dias) and PSD (Joaquim Miranda Sarmento) rejected the continuation of the trial. This invalidates the revision from the start, as two-thirds are needed to approve any changes to the Basic Law. “From a political point of view it would not be reasonable” to continue the review, Eurico Brilhante Dias said. Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said that “much of the work has already been done”, so “it will have to be the next legislative session to resume this process”. Rui Tavares, Livre’s sole deputy and spokesperson, appealed to common sense so that the review is not completed “on the eve of the elections.” And Inês Sousa Real, the PAN’s sole deputy and spokesperson, said she hopes animal protection can be included in the constitution.
The DN also knows that PS and PSD, despite not yet having the two-thirds needed for final approval, had already reached an agreement to amend about twenty articles.
During the work of the Eventual Constitutional Review Commission, PS and PSD managed to reach consensus in some areas, such as the possibility of including in the Constitution the isolation of seriously ill and contagious patients without resorting to declaring the emergency or information access Communications Metadata Services.
The strengthening of environmental rights and the modernization of constitutional language were also topics that saw changes in sight.
If the process were completed, it would be the eighth time the constitution has been amended. The last took place in 2005.
Tobacco law awaits
Another legislative process that could fail is the controversial tobacco law.
Failing to reach consensus (some PS deputies were even against it), the Parliamentary Health Committee decided to create a group on the subject. And which may now prove fruitless. The next meeting of the Health Committee will take place on Wednesday, but it is expected that the text will be dropped when parliament is dissolved. If this were to remain the case, the law would impose changes on sales and consumption, including, for example, equating heated cigarettes with other tobacco products.
But not all the work will be in vain. For example, the desegregation of parishes could be carried over to the next legislature, as it is not a legislative process in itself. Speaking to DN, a parliamentary source explained that the desegregation requests received in the Assembly are just that: requests. Because they are not laws, they can be passed and therefore continue after the new constitution of parliament.
Source: DN
