The prime minister announced this Wednesday that he will go to the Council of Ministers on Thursday with a proposal for preliminary investigation from the governing bodies, which he said already had the agreement of the president of the republic, without giving details.
António Costa was asked about the subject in the general policy debate in the Assembly of the Republic by PSD parliamentary leader Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, but would not give details to the deputies.
The prime minister noted that the first proposal, which he alluded to last week in the censure motion debate, was deemed “not viable” by the head of state.
“I have presented another alternative solution which the President of the Republic has given me permission to say he agrees with and which I will present to the Council of Ministers tomorrow. You will understand that, out of respect for my colleagues in the Government, I don’t say it here,” he said.
The Prime Minister sent a letter to the President of the Republic on Thursday evening, who has since replied to him suggesting to set up a verification mechanism in the process of appointing government officials, an idea that he has already had addressed the parliament the day before during the debate on the motion of censure of the Liberal Initiative.
António Costa emphasized this Wednesday in the general orientation debate that when he spoke in parliament on the subject, he had previously discussed it with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in light of the PSD parliament leader’s accusation that he presented a solution ” on top of the knee”.
“We are available to discuss the issue, in time and seriously, but it cannot be brought into the middle of a government crisis as an escape from responsibility,” Miranda Sarmento criticized.
In response, Costa defended that “when problems arise” it is necessary to “find solutions”.
“There is one fact that is indisputable: it is necessary not only to strengthen controls, but also to give society, citizens, confidence that the mechanisms are strengthened,” he said.
The Prime Minister explained that after speaking with the head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was “acting diligently” and believed that the first solution was “not viable”, so he presented an alternative proposal, which he said the President of the republic “thinks hard and agrees”, without giving details about any of them.
“We have to be very strict in interpreting the competence of the sovereign bodies. The constitution is very clear: the remaining members of the government, besides the prime minister, are appointed by the president of the republic on the proposal of the prime minister,” said he, considering that it is not for the head of government to nominate the members of the government, but to choose them.
Referring to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s status as an “illustrious constitutionalist”, Costa cited a constitution on which the current head of state had commented in the article on the Formation and Responsibility of the Executive (187e)
“Professor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa identifies what the powers of the President of the Republic are in a way I can’t agree more with, saying that the President has substantial power and not just formal political control over the members of the government. proposed by the Prime Minister,” he said, justifying that this proposal should be made “in institutional dialogue” between São Bento and Belém.
The parliamentary leader of the PSD regretted that the prime minister had not worked out the solutions, neither the first one presented and rejected by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, nor the one he will bring to the Council of Ministers on Thursday.
Marcelo received a project from Costa that was “generally consistent” with his position
The president of the republic received from the prime minister this Wednesday a “preliminary assessment project of legal requirements” for government officials that is “generally consistent” with his position, a source from Belém told Lusa. .
According to a source from Belém, “This morning the President of the Republic received from the Prime Minister a project of preliminary assessment of the legal requirements for the exercise of government functions, generally consistent with the position he adopted on January 6 last year”.
“The President of the Republic is waiting for the final version to be approved tomorrow [quinta-feira] in the Council of Ministers,” the same source added.
Source: DN
