Filipe Sousa, a Member of Parliament for Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP), contested the arguments made by Pedro Aguiar-Branco, President of the Assembly of the Republic, to refuse the presence of the Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves, in the Permanent Commission.
Sousa stated that the interruption of plenary sessions during parliamentary holidays does not suspend the Permanent Commission's oversight and scrutiny powers. The request for scrutiny of the minister follows cases such as the seizure and diversion of a trailer with chemical substances and the failure to submit income declarations to the Constitutional Court.
Aguiar-Branco had based his refusal on a "lack of consensus" in the Conference of Leaders. Filipe Sousa refuted this, explaining that the Rules of Procedure only require the Conference to be "heard," not that there must be unanimity or a veto power by any parliamentary group. The MP argues that transparency and scrutiny strengthen democracy and citizens' trust in institutions.
