By: CHRIS GRAEME
THE PRESIDENT of Portugal, Ánibal Cavaco Silva, has admitted that he’ll use his presidential veto if the Portuguese parliament votes for new laws which theoretically could pave the way for both the Azores and Madeira becoming politically independent.
In July the President made the unprecedented step of addressing the nation on national television to explain his opposition to allowing regional autonomous governments the power to reject Portuguese presidential powers to dissolve regional parliaments.
Cavaco Silva said only he could have the power to accept or reject appointments and that allowing autonomous governing bodies in the Azores to have the final say was “unconstitutional” and hinted that it could pave the way for Portugal’s off-shore territories to become completely independent in all but name.
In an interview with daily newspaper Público, he said he had talked with various party leaders, the majority opposition ones, who agreed with him and showed “great understanding” in his desire to see the statue laws “altered.”
Cavaco Silva believes that the new law, Estatuto dos Açores, as it stands would “limit presidential powers” creating a precedent that “could have very serious consequences” that his “conscience would be unable to accept.”
The new laws, if passed by the parliamentary deputies of the Assembleia da Republica, would introduce limits to the exercise of powers of organs of sovereignty which form the central pillars of the Portuguese political system.
In other words it would be like giving the Channel Islands the power to hire and fire ministers, reject Westminster laws and countermand bills and legislation by Queen, Lords and Commons.
Criticism
The issue has dominated the headlines of both the national television news networks and daily papers for the past week, despite mounting criticism from far left wing groups who have suggested that the nation has more pressing economic and unemployment problems to deal with.
“I believe that never in our democracy has it been sought, through ordinary laws, to limit the powers of the President,” said Cavaco Silva.
“If I accepted this precedent it would be like accepting that in the future other laws or restrictions to the exercise of presidential powers would be acceptable,” he stated.
The President said he considered insinuations some were making as “totally absurd” that he was launching “an attack on regional autonomy.”
“I have given enough proof, throughout my political career, that I respect and defend their (Madeira and the Azores) autonomy which I believe is one of the great successes of our democracy,” he added.
Cavaco Silva said that what was at stake was the power of the President to dissolve the Regional Parliament of the Azores which would happen only in “extremely exceptional circumstances.”
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