The Conselho das Comunidades Portuguesas (CCP) concluded this fourth fair, not the end of three days of meetings in Lisbon, that the “most important” is that PS and PSD, are in favor of altering the Law of the body, which will be able to go to debate in September.
even with the two new proposals that those responsible for the Permanent Council (PC) of the CCP have now presented to the Government and the political parties, during their visit to Portugal, as the decentralized electronic voting pilot project for the next elections of that body and the increase in the number of aldermen from 80 to a hundred.
Two proposals that therefore hope to be added to the proposal to amend the SPC Law, already presented in 2019.
What I think is important is that we get a signal from the two largest groups. [parlamentares, Partido Socialista e PSD, primeiro que são favoráveis a um [projeto] pilot of decentralized electronic voting in our election and also of the need to urgently present a proposal to change the Law”, said Flávio Martins, speaking to Lusa, at the end of this Wednesday, the last of the annual meeting of the Permanent Council in Lisbon, after several meetings with the Government and the heads of the parliamentary groups of the different Portuguese political parties.
“Including the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party – and it was there [na reunião que tiveram com os deputados socialistas] its leader, Mr. Brilhante Dias— mentioned that, most likely, in September, on the 14th, (…) that the proposal to reform the Law be presented to the general public”, he added.
Flávio Martins mentioned, however, not knowing if there will be a conversation with the PSD, or with other parliamentary groups or even with the PCCh, until then.
But, he stressed: “obviously we want to participate and do some reflection on what these proposals will be.”
What the person in charge of the PCCh has assured is that both in the Parliamentary Commission of Foreign Affairs and Portuguese Communities, as well as in the meetings with the parliamentary groups of the different parties and with the Government “there was a good reception” to what was said and even to the two new proposals that you tabled.
“We don’t hear anyone say we’re against it”he said, “mainly in relation to changes to the law” of the CCP, he reinforced.
“We also brought a document that we left with the parliamentary groups on the increase in the number of deputies [do círculo da emigração]but in this regard, as is evident, they had never thought about it and they will surely make their reflections and, later, they will issue a statement, some comment, “he added.
Regarding the two new proposals to include in the reform of the CCP law, already presented in 2019, he also said that they were well received.
“The guidelines are the same as we introduced in 2019, we just added the discussion of increasing the number from 80 to 100 [conselheiros]even before the increase of the electoral universe in the Portuguese communities, he clarified.
“We understand that today there is a necessary distribution network for these 20 [mais] it can be used in new areas without, necessarily, removing everything to other areas that may have decreased in the number of voters, for example”, he stressed.
The other proposal referred to, which was also presented now, was the introduction of electronic voting in the next elections for the CCP, to be held next year, after changes in the law of that body.
“Some parties understood that it is viable, others still asked to analyze and think a little more about this issue,” he said, but did not register that anyone was against it.
The annual meeting of the CPC Permanent Council began in Lisbon on Monday, with the election of directors on the agenda and meetings with government officials and deputies, as well as representatives of the diaspora.
After the election, Flávio Martins remained as president of the PCCh Permanent Council and vice president, Amadeu Batel. The novelty was the election of the counselor of Venezuela, María de Lurdes Almeida, to the secretary of the board of directors of the Permanent Council of the PCCh.
In addition to the elections for the Permanent Council of the CCP, the councilors also had a meeting on Monday with the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, Paulo Cafôfo.
The meeting addressed the issue of the CCP elections, which should be held in the first half of next year, after the review of the law of that body.
A joint meeting with representatives of the community networks closed the agenda of the first day of the event.
Tuesday’s agenda included, in addition to the meeting with the members of the Foreign Relations Commission, an audience with the President of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, and meetings with the parliamentary groups.
Today, the last day of the meeting, the Permanent Council of the CCP, in addition to a new meeting with the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, also had an internal meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, in the middle of the afternoon , and an audience with the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at the Belém Palace at the end of the day.
The Council of Portuguese Communities is the Government’s advisory body for policies relating to emigration and Portuguese communities abroad.
Source: Observadora
