The PSD proposes the return of fortnightly debates with the Prime Minister in parliament, according to the draft revision of the Regulations of the Assembly of the Republic delivered this Wednesday. In the diploma, to which Lusa had access, the Social Democrats propose, among other changes, “the consecration of fortnightly debates with the President of the Government, recovering the suit that was previously in force, as a way of accentuating parliamentary control.”
In July 2020, the PSD and PS benches were the only ones that approved the new Regulations of the Assembly of the Republic that, among many changes, ended the fortnightly debate model with the acting Prime Minister since 2008, replacing him with monthly discussions with the Government.
In the diploma now proposed, signed by the deputies Duarte Pacheco and Hugo Carneiro, the division in the Regulation between the debates with the President of the Government and the debates with the ministers is taken up again.
In the case of discussions with the head of government, return to the biweekly frequency and a single roundinstead of the current two, which increased the time of the debates from around one and a half hours to three hours.
According to the social democratic proposal, the format of the debate would once again alternate between one opened by the prime minister and the next by the parliamentary benches.
In the case of ministers, they would have the obligation to appear before the plenary “at least once per legislative session.”
The current model foresees that the debate with the Government develop in two alternative formats: in one month, with the President of the Government in general politics and, in the following, in sectoral politics with the portfolio minister, with the Head of Government being able to be present or not.
The new president of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, had already expressed his intention to propose this amendment made by the direction of Rui Rio.
A new specific review of the Internal Regulations is being discussed in a working group of the Assembly of the Republic with the aim of completing it before the parliamentary vacations.
Other parties, such as Chega, Liberal Initiative, PCP, Bloco de Esquerda and PAN have also submitted projects to review the regiment.
Most of the proposals aim, among other points, at re-establishing fortnightly debates with the Prime Minister, the communists defending at least a monthly frequency, but showing themselves in favor of approving the return of the fortnightly.
The PS has also announced that it intends to submit its own review project which, in addition to the model for the debates with the Prime Minister, will also address “other points”, without these having been specified.
Source: Observadora
