PCP accuses Right to block debate on police action

O PCP today accused the political right to obstruct the government's scrutiny by not expressly approving its request to convene an urgent debate on police action in housing demonstrations.

In order for the urgent debate of the CFP to be scheduled, it would have to reach consensus among all parliamentary parties, as it would change the timetable for the discussion in the speciality of the State Budget to 2027. And the CDS expressed opposition to the CFP initiative.

If the political left and the PAN accepted the scheduling of the debate, assuming a change in the budget discussion schedule, PSD, Arrida and the Liberal Initiative did not speak.

In the face of journalists, the parliamentary leader of the PCP, Paula Santos, criticized not only the CDS, which expressed opposition to the debate, but also the PSD, Arriga and IL, who did not comment on the request made to them by the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-White.

“ When we ask for an express pronunciation, the fact that these parties have not spoken in our reading is that they do not really want this debate to take place. Otherwise they would have given their express agreement,” he said.

Paula Santos considered that the attitude of the political right has a political significance.

“ They want to avoid the scrutiny of the Assembly of the Republic, not allowing it to fulfil its competences, including the monitoring of the activity of the Government. This attitude is even more serious when a court decision was known in which it clearly recognizes the legitimacy of the demonstration and the right of demonstration ", said the president of the PCP bench.

This decision of the court, Paula Santos added, made it clear “that the government’s decision to intervene forcefully in actions that are being developed in defense of the right to housing, with police intervention, are illegitimate and even abusive.”.

“It is clear on these matters, on the part of these political forces, that they intend to hinder the Assembly of the Republic in order to fulfill its role,” he said.

He then left a set of questions addressed to the PSD, Enough, IL and CDS: “What are you afraid of? What's the fear? What is the reason why they do not want to come and clarify and do not want to subject themselves to political scrutiny?”

The chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the CFP argued after that it was possible to adjust the budget discussion schedule after the inclusion of the urgent debate proposed by her bench.

“ The debate on the speciality of the budget is not an argument, because solutions could be found, particularly next week. It would be possible to hold the debate without calling into question the hearings currently taking place on the budget,” he added.