The parliamentary leader of the PSD this Thursday demanded that the President of the Assembly of the Republic assess whether he is capable of continuing to hold this position, accusing Santos Silva of trying to condition justice.
Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, in statements to journalists in Parliament, reacted to the interview of the President of the Assembly of the Republic to the RTP3 television channel, in which Augusto Santos Silva expressed the opinion that the Supreme Court (STJ) should quickly clarify, before the elections, the criminal situation of the Prime Minister, emphasizing that the case has opened political crisis.
“You must consider whether, in these four months before the elections, you can become a guarantor of the independence and authority that the position of President of the Assembly gives,” said the parliamentary leader of the SDP.
When asked whether Santos Silva should resign if he cannot meet these conditions, Miranda Sarmento replied: “If he has a strong, strong desire to help the PS, then he will not have the conditions of independence to hold this position,” stated He. .
“The President of the Assembly cannot, I repeat cannot, condition or at least make statements that could lead to legal action,” he said, adding, however, that he was confident that Santos Silva “will know how to admit a mistake ”, admitted in an interview on Wednesday Night Fair.
Joaquim Miranda Sarmento believes that at this stage, “the country needs institutions to maintain their authority and the trust they inspire among citizens,” adding that the responsibility for their preservation lies with everyone, “especially those who govern them.”
“The Prime Minister’s statement on Saturday was clearly unfortunate because of the way he tried to condition justice and the way he used the office of Prime Minister for that purpose, but the interview given by the President of the Assembly yesterday was also not particularly celebratory,” he said.
The PSD parliamentary leader stressed that Santos Silva “represents Parliament, its diversity of opinions and must strive to preserve this institution and the respect it inspires in all Portuguese.”
“Citizen Augusto Santos Silva has every right to participate in the electoral process and have his own opinion, the President of the Assembly should not do so,” he said, arguing that Santos Silva “cannot wear both hats at the same time.”
When asked if he was in favor of a special speed in the process to which the prime minister is subject, the leader of the SDP parliament replied that “all citizens should be equal before the law and receive the same treatment.”
“We ask that justice be equal for all and that all cases be resolved as quickly as possible,” he urged.
In an interview with RTP3, Augusto Santos Silva noted that this is “a very serious case and it is very important that it is clarified as quickly as possible.”
“I believe we have the right to ask the STJ to promptly carry out an investigation,” said Augusto Santos Silva after being asked about the trial that led to Antonio Costa’s dismissal as prime minister.
In Portugal, on March 10, 2024, early elections will be held for legislative bodies appointed by the President of the Republic after the resignation of the Prime Minister.
António Costa became the subject of an investigation carried out by the Ministry of State (MP) in the Supreme Court after suspects in the investigation into influence peddling in the Sines data center business named him as the person who interfered with the unlocking procedures but had already refused to do “what -or illegal or reprehensible actions.”
On November 10, the deputy detained five people: the chief of staff of Prime Minister Vitor Escaria, the president of the Chamber of Sines Nuno Mascarenhas, two administrators of the Start Campus society Afonso Salema and Rui Oliveiro Neves, as well as lawyer Diogo. Lacerda Machado, a friend of António Costa, who was released after the judicial interrogation.
In total, there are nine defendants in the investigation into the lithium, green hydrogen and Sines data centers, including former infrastructure minister João Galamba, Portuguese Environmental Agency president Nuno Lacasta, lawyer and former PS representative João Thiago Silveira and the company Start Campus.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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