President officializes dissolution of Parliament and early elections
The President of the Republic signed the decree that dissolves the parliament and marks early legislative elections for May 18. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa thus officializes the announcement he made on March 13.
« The President of the Republic today signed the decree that proceeds to the dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic and the convening of legislative elections for the next May 18, » reads a note released on the Page of the Presidency.
The decree produces effects from Thursday, the 20th.
Pursuant to the Constitution, during the period in which the Parliament is dissolved, the Permanent Commission of the Assembly of the Republic, composed by the President, vice-presidents and deputies appointed by all parties, in accordance with their parliamentary representativeness, operates.
This is the tenth dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic since April 25, 1974 – the third decreed by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The current dissolution comes following the fall of the minority government PSD/CDS-PP, which saw a motion of trust on March 11.
After fulfilling the two steps to which the Constitution obliges before dissolving Parliament and summoning elections-listening to the parties and the Council of State-the President of the Republic made a statement to the country on March 13, announcing that early elections will take place on May 18.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stated that “there was no halfway” no possible consensus between the position of government and opposition in the current political crisis, considering that “it is not possible to trust and distrust” at the same time as the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro.
