The government announced this Thursday after the Council of Ministers approved the creation of a control mechanism for the personalities appointed by the prime minister to government positions.
This mechanism, according to Mariana Vieira da Silva, will consist of a 34-question survey of the nominees and a pledge of honor from them.
“The government’s perspective is that this will come into effect the day after publication, in the coming hours or days. The next government member to be appointed will already be going through this instrument”explained the Minister for the Presidency.
“This is an earlier mechanism, which holds those who fill out this questionnaire accountable, and increases the capacity for control”he added, ensuring that the questions that make up the questionnaire will be public.
“This is an internal instrument of the government itself, making the nominee accountable to the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister himself. What is envisaged is a mixed model of commitment to honors and the gathering of information on current or past activities of the nominee and issues about the nominee’s criminal, patrimonial and tax situation. But it’s not an investigative process, that’s not what’s at stake”continued the minister in response to questions from journalists.
“This is a political assessment tool. The Constitutional Court and the Assembly of the Republic assess the obligations of those already in office. What exists here is a series of questions that are answered beforehand. It does not have the formal dimension than the law already The aim is to avoid a series of risks. This questionnaire is not public. The prime minister invites the ministers and the ministers appoint the secretaries of state”he added, assuring that it will remain for the prime minister to appoint the personalities who will integrate the government.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, announced in parliament this Wednesday that he would go to the Council of Ministers with a proposal for preliminary scrutiny in the process of appointing government officials, which he said had the agreement of the President of the Republic .
During the general policy debate in the Assembly of the Republic, in response to the PSD parliament leader, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, the Prime Minister announced that his first proposal on this issue was considered “not viable” by the head of state.
“I have presented another alternative solution that the President of the Republic has allowed me to say that he agrees and that I will submit tomorrow [quinta-feira] to the Council of Ministers. You will understand that out of respect for my colleagues in government, I will not say it here,” António Costa added at the time.
Source: DN
