This Tuesday, the PS rejected proposals from the PSD and Chega to reduce the number of deputies provided for in the constitution, as well as suggestions from all political forces to change the text related to electoral circles.
At the meeting of the final Constitutional Revision Commission, it was Article 149.º, relating to constituencies, that generated the most discussion, as there were seven amendments, from all parties except the PS.
In general, the opposition parties presented themselves in different ways as objectives to ensure greater proportionality and fairness of the electoral system for the Assembly of the Republic and to prevent wastage of votes.
Enough, PAN or Livre suggested the creation of a compensation circle, the PSD wanted to combine proportionality with the territorial dimension, IL, PAN or BE wanted to delete the explicit reference to the d’Hondt method to convert votes into mandates and PCP and BE proposed to abolish the possibility of single-member constituencies currently provided for in the constitution.
For the PS, deputies Isabel Moreira believed that the current article of the Constitution “gives much more room” to the legislator than the other parliamentary groups defended, so she did not think it necessary to change the fundamental law on this point.
Specifically on the PSD proposal, the Socialist MEP considered that it presents “irreconcilable principles” in determining the number of deputies per constituency to combine the intention “proportionality to the number of registered voters and taking into account the balanced representation of the whole territory”.
The PSD coordinator, André Coelho Lima, admitted that there may be semantic doubts, but explained that the goal “from a political point of view” is to enshrine the concern for territorial balance in the constitution, which would later be incorporated into the electoral law implemented.
“At the moment we have an unbalanced representation of the territory that is not proportionate and that is shocking,” he defended.
The PS did not respond to this proposal, but even the chairman of the committee, the Social Democrat José Silvano, admitted that it was difficult to reconcile the two principles.
The article that determines the number of deputies, between a minimum of 180 and a maximum of 230, also remains unchanged in the Constitution.
The PSD wanted to reduce the maximum number to 215 (increase the minimum to 181, to be odd), the PCP wanted to enshrine the current number (230) in the Constitution, without maximum and minimum limits, and Chega lowered the minimum number to one hundred , but retaining the current maximum, which earned widespread criticism from the other parties.
“What Chega is proposing is ridiculous, they have campaigned all over to reduce the number of deputies, but then they admit it should be between 100 and 230,” said PCP deputy Alma Rivera, who has supported all proposals to reduce the number of deputies. deputies rejected as such. as BE, PAN or Livre.
“You catch a populist faster than … other people”, agreed the group leader of the BE, Pedro Filipe Soares.
“We understand that the current wording already gives the legislator the freedom to do what he wants between 180 and 230 deputies,” objected Isabel Moreira, justifying the rejection of all proposals, although she rejected those of the PSD (which already approved) has been defended by various leaders over the years) and Chega, whom he classified as “pretty brutal”
In response to criticism, deputy Chega Rui Paulo Sousa expressed his willingness to amend the proposal and put the limits between 100 and 181 deputies, who did not even get a response from the other political forces.
Consensus was reached in today’s meeting (or at least the necessary two-thirds for approval) on the PSD and IL proposals to remove the need for a ministerial referendum from the Constitution following the promulgation of laws by the President of the Republic , widely regarded as “an outdated institution”.
“How to notify the IL deputy, who is in Kiev: João [Cotrim Figueiredo]you succeeded in withdrawing an article,” Livre’s sole deputy Rui Tavares quipped, referring to the Liberals’ repeated intention to simplify the fundamental law.
Along the way came proposals from Chega to change the way citizens were elected to the Council of State — they wanted them nominated instead of elected and nominated by the big five parties — and, unanimously, the imposition that the post of Prime Minister and Minister of State were “restricted to persons of original Portuguese nationality”.
“Chega wants to apply the same principle of original nationality to sports?” asked Social Democratic deputy Coelho Lima, receiving a response from Rui Paulo Sousa that the two areas were not comparable.
Source: DN
