The Social Democratic Party (PSD) says it will not accept that Brazil’s President, Lula da Silva, will speak in the Assembly of the Republic during the solemn session of April 25, responding to this Thursday’s announcement by the head of Portuguese diplomacy in Brazil.
“The PSD accepts that the Brazilian head of state speaks in parliament, but not during the solemn session dedicated to April 25,” PSD parliamentary leader Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said in a written statement to Lusa.
The PSD faction leader reacted this way to the announcement of the Portuguese Foreign Minister, João Gomes Cravinho, in Brasília, that the Brazilian President, Lula da Silva, will speak at the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal in the celebrations of 25 April.
“It is the first time that a foreign head of state has given a speech on that date,” João Gomes Cravinho said at a press conference in Brasília, at the Itamaraty Palace, together with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.
The Portuguese Foreign Minister is in Brasília in preparation for the Luso-Brazilian Summit, which will take place in Portugal between April 22 and 25, when Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits the country.
Later, in a statement to Lusa, João Gomes Cravinho stated: “I want to clarify that the Assembly of the Republic is sovereign in the decisions it takes”.
In the written statement sent to Lusa this evening, the parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats adds that “the PSD deplores the incompetence of Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho, as evidenced by the announcement, in absentia of the Assembly of the Republic, from a speech by President Lula da Silva at the celebration of April 25”.
Joaquim Miranda Sarmento says this is “an unforgivable and regrettable blunder” by the minister.
Source: DN
