The president of the republic said on Friday that because he respects the separation of powers, he does not want to get involved in the controversy surrounding Brazilian president Lula da Silva’s speech at the assembly of the republic during the April 25 formal session .
Asked if he is in favor of this parliamentary speech announced by the head of Portuguese diplomacy in Brasilia, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he would not comment on the matter.
“I am not going to comment on that. Because the question that has been asked is precisely that of the relationship between the various state powers. by the Republic’s own Assembly of the agenda of the sessions”said the chairman.
Whether he was aware of Lula da Silva’s speech, he explained “didn’t have to speak up or be aware” of this casebecause the Assembly of the Republic “has the last word”, as always with regard to these sessions.
“We have prepared the arrival of President Lula with the hallmarks of an important visit, because it basically starts on the day of the Luso-Brazilian community, on April 22he added.
The Portuguese foreign minister is in Brasilia as part of preparations for the Luso-Brazilian summit, which will take place in Portugal between April 22 and 25when the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, visits the country.
Responding to Thursday’s announcement by the head of Portuguese diplomacy in Brasília, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) said it would not accept the Brazilian president speaking at the Assembly of the Republic on April 25.
“The PSD accepts that the Brazilian head of state speaks in parliament, but not in the solemn session dedicated to April 25,” PSD parliamentary leader Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said in a written statement to Lusa.
“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, along with Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira.
In the written statement sent to Lusa on Thursday night the parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats adds that “the PSD deplores the incompetence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs João Gomes Cravinho, as evidenced by the announcement, in absentia of the Assembly of the Republic, of a speech by President Lula da Silva during the celebration of April 25”.
Joaquim Miranda Sarmento says this is “an unforgivable and regrettable blunder” by the minister.
Later, also in a statement to Lusa, João Gomes Cravinho said: “I want to clarify that the Assembly of the Republic is sovereign in the decisions it takes”.
Source: DN
