The PS and PSD agreed this Friday on the need to review the country’s electoral system, but criticized the Liberal Initiative for introducing a proposal to create a national compensation circle months before the March legislative elections.
“The rural world, the interior, areas with lower population densities face a number of restrictions that are largely the result of a deficit of political representation,” defended IL President Rui Rocha in a debate planned by his party in parliament. on the creation of a national clearing circle for legislative elections, which will elect 40 deputies, maintaining the current 230.
The MP noted that the creation of a national compensation circle “is not a solution to all problems of political representation in the interior,” but is an “important step.”
Rui Rocha cited the regional compensation circle of the Autonomous Region of the Azores as an example and challenged all parties, in particular the PS and PSD, demonstrating his willingness to accept changes to the liberal proposal.
The vice-president of the parliamentary party, Pedro Delgado Alves, criticized the fact that IL scheduled the debate and did not allow the other parties to drag out proposals, and also scheduled the discussion “in the middle of the electoral campaign, if not formal, material” and at a time when “there is no possibility of approval ” and the discussion “wants to expand.”
The socialist argued that the circle proposed by IL “increases the proportionality of the system rather than the representation of areas with low population density.”
“We do not deny that there are problems in the electoral system, we do not deny that they can be solved in a less radical way than with the help of other palliatives,” he said.
PSD MP João Barbosa de Melo also criticized the fact that IL scheduled this debate during the election campaign, saying that “the country’s electoral system is an issue that requires serious and balanced reflection so that parties focus on principles and the quality of decisions , without being hostage to the potential electoral gains and losses from the changes they propose.”
According to the Social Democrat, “there are many signs that the political system as a whole needs to change, and the SDP is ready for this work”, acknowledging that a solution could include the creation of a national compensation circle, already proposed by the party since the 90s, ” but a system that does not reduce the further political representation of depopulated areas.”
Later, Social Democrat Hugo Carneiro accused the IL of having “its own interests,” but also criticized the PS, saying that “the PSD has a history of thinking about this topic and presenting initiatives that tend to chumba the PS.” , accusing the socialists of being a “blocking force.”
In his response, Pedro Delgado Alves noted that the PSD defended the reduction of the number of deputies to 180, the reason for the “leadership” of the Socialists, in a speech in which he also criticized Chega, saying that it was an “anti-democratic party”, which led to heated protests from that bench. in particular from the deputy Gabriel Mita Ribeiro.
Chegi parliamentary leader Pedro Pinto said his party was in favor of creating a compensation circle, saying he had proposed it as part of a constitutional review, and said “there cannot be first-class and second-class Portuguese.”
BE parliamentary leader Pedro Filipe Soares and PCP MP Alma Rivera criticized the “timing” of the initiative’s presentation and the fact that IL prevented other parties from being dragged in, with the communist parliamentarian saying that your panel would vote against for these reasons, despite the fact that you advocate for the creation of a compensation circle.
Livre’s only deputy, Rui Tavares, also agreed with the creation of this circle and left an ironic criticism of IL regarding the impossibility of delaying it: “After all, liberals believe in free competition or is it only when it is convenient?”
In turn, the only PAN deputy, Ines de Souza Real, said that the electoral system “should no longer be crystallized in time,” with “a fairer electoral map and more respectful of the will of the voters.” compensation circle.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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