The President of the Assembly of the Republic on Tuesday declined to comment on statements made by former PSD leader Pedro Passos Coelho, but expressed hope that he would be able to “have a good appreciation of what is important for the country.”
José Pedro Aguiar-Branco voted in Tuesday’s elections to lead the PSD bench and was eventually questioned by journalists about Passos Coelho’s calls for understanding, which were understood to be addressed to the PSD and Chega.
Aguiar-Branco began by saying that he did not want to enter into “partisan debates” in order to maintain “equidistance and loyalty” towards all deputies.
“I can only say that having been a member of the government led by Pedro Passos Coelho, I have great respect for his mandate as prime minister and believe that he has provided invaluable service to the country at a particularly difficult time,” he said.
And he added: “I have known him for many years and I believe that he will always know and at every moment appreciate well what is important for the country,” he said.
Former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho on Tuesday called for understanding to respond to those who expressed disappointment in the last elections, warning that voters should not be told they have “great respect for their problems” but not for the choices that they did in the elections. surveys.
“It’s a bit of an insult to people, we can’t say, ‘I really care about what you want, but if you make this choice, you won’t get anything from here, if you make this choice, you will.’ don’t talk to me,” he said at the launch of the book “Identity and Family,” attended by Chega leaders Andre Ventura and CDS-PP Nuno Melo, also Minister of National Defense.
Without explaining the recipients, but clearly alluding to the SDP and Chegu, the former prime minister said that “when there are established identities,” there is no need to fear that political spaces are “blurring or mixing with each other.”
Regarding his participation in the elections for parliamentary leader of the PSD, Aguiar-Branco emphasized that he is the deputy elected by Viana do Castelo, praising the ability to “form consensus and open dialogue” of Hugo Soares, the only candidate for the post.
The President of the Assembly highlighted some differences in relation to his predecessor Augusto Santos Silva, especially regarding the criteria for the admissibility of legislative initiatives.
Asked about the multiparty intention to create three parliamentary commissions of inquiry, Aguiar-Branco said he had a “broad interpretation” of the adoption of both these and other initiatives.
“Democratic culture must be present at every moment, even when it must receive initiatives. I am not one who will have a very restrictive interpretation of the acceptability or unacceptability of any initiative, we must prioritize the space over democracy: allowing the debate of ideas to take place, and even with great energy,” he said.
Therefore, he repeated, he sees the role of the President of the Assembly of the Republic as ensuring the conditions for “democratic debate and for each member to be able to express his position, enjoying the greatest freedom.”
“In the house of democracy, freedom of expression cannot be limited (…) The decision, the assessment will be made on election day,” he believes.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.