In Portugal, Parliament has been dissolved and early elections called for March 10th
The president Portuguese Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signed the decree of dissolution of Parliament and announced early legislative elections for March 10th. From today the Assembly of the Republic he no longer has the power to pass laws and all ongoing legislative proceedings lose their validity, therefore they will have to be presented again during the next legislature. According to the site 'Portugal News', they are blocked there regulation of lobbyingthe text on preventing and combating smoking as well as revision of the Constitution.
Today's decree is the direct consequence of resignationlast November 7, by the socialist prime minister Antonio Costa after the indictment of his cabinet chief and the Minister of Infrastructure for influence peddling.
Portugal was plunged into a political crisis and Costa decided he would not seek a new mandate to lead the country he has governed since 2015. Socialist Party However, Portugal remains ahead in the polls ahead of the March 10 elections, under the leadership of its new general secretary, Pedro Nuno Santos.
Successful leader of the Juventude Socialista, Pedro Nuno Santos is an economist, former general secretary of the socialist youth of the PS, former secretary of state for Parliamentary Affairs from November 2015 to February 2019 and minister of Housing and Infrastructure from February 2019 to January 2023. Even though the Portuguese Parliament is officially dissolved, its president Augusto Santos Silva continues to be the second position in the statetherefore in case of necessity he will be called upon to replace the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The new rules
THE deputies retain their rightsincluding theparliamentary immunity. In place of the Assembly of the Republic the Permanent commission, a body with fewer deputies than the plenary and with limited powers. Its first meeting is scheduled for January 24 and the second for February 7. Thereafter it should meet every 15 days, on Wednesdays.
The standing committee it is chaired by the president of the AR and is made up of vice-presidents and alternates nominated by all parties, according to their respective representation. Members of Parliament's standing committee will be able to continue to ask written questions to the government after the dissolution, but hearings of ministers in committees will cease, maintaining the initiatives planned to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary on 25 April.
The permanent committee has the task of “ensuring compliance with the Constitution and the laws and monitoring the activity of the government and administration“, “exercise the powers of the Assembly in relation to the mandate of the deputies”, “promote the convening of the Assembly whenever necessary”.
This body also has the function of “consenting the absence of the President of the Republic from the national territory” or “authorize the President of the Republic to declare a state of siege or a state of emergency, to declare war and make peace.”
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