Aguiar-Branco says no to Chega: refuses debate on fuels. It’s a question of timing

Party wanted an urgent debate but already asked for one in the last few days. President of the Assembly does not prohibit new requests.

Last Saturday, while the Government’s reaction to the rise in prices of fuels, André Ventura announced that Chega asked for a urgent debate in Parliament on the matter.

But the President of the Assembly of the Republic refused this debate. At least for now – it’s a question of timing.

Arrives sold out yours potestative schedules. This position by José Pedro Aguiar-Branco is contained in a dispatch to which the Lusa agency had access.

When implementing its request, Chega’s bench invoked as its basis an erroneous article of the Internal Regulations of the Legislative Assembly, relating to the current affairs debate and not, as had been announced, the urgent debate.

However, this “nonconformity” was understood by José Pedro Aguiar-Branco as “a mere oversight of normative indication, as it is unequivocal, in light of the content of the request and the request formulated, the applicant’s intention to trigger the procedure regarding the holding of an urgent debate”.

Each parliamentary group has one potestative right per fortnight. In the case of Chega, already exercised this right corresponding to the period of March 2nd to 13th when, last Thursday, it originated with the theme “Accusations of racism in society, sport and the political system: we need to turn the page”.

To this extent, points out the president of the Assembly of the Republic, Chega can no longer advance with a new potestative right of the same nature.

According to the president of parliament, “nothing prevents, however, Chega from renew a initiative in the following fortnight, if you wish to maintain it, as long as the time requirements set out in the House’s Internal Regulations are observed.