Political Chaos in Madeira: PS Party Denounces Proposed Changes as Illegal and Unconstitutional

Legislative Impasse in Madeira

The socialist deputy elected in Madeira to the Assembly of the Republic, José Miguel Iglésias, has justified the PS party's rejection of an initiative aimed at resolving a legislative quagmire that prevents Madeirans from voting in mobility. He emphasized that the candidate lists for the upcoming elections on March 23 must adhere to the gender parity requirement, which he claims is a correction that would be "illegal and unconstitutional."

Blame Not on PS

Iglésias clarified that the mess surrounding the new electoral law not applying to the upcoming regional elections is not the PS's responsibility. He pointed out that the referendum date set by the Prime Minister led to the dissolution decree of the ALRAM taking effect before the electoral law was amended, a situation that has been widely reported.

Consequences of Political Errors

He stressed that attempting to remedy this gross political error would clearly be illegal and unconstitutional, risking the need to repeat the elections if any challenges arise. Iglésias mentioned that the PS was one of the parties that expressed reservations about this potential illegality, and that trying to correct one error with another would not be a solution.

Delays and Responsibilities

Iglésias concluded by stating that all delays in the approval of changes to the electoral law have been well documented, originating from ALRAM and culminating in the recent mess. He reiterated that these issues are regrettable but not the PS's fault.

Potential Impact on Elections

It was noted that all parties had agreed on a common understanding for applying the new electoral law, except for the PS, which raised objections. Without a constitutional solution, it seems unlikely that early voting in mobility will be feasible for the elections on March 23, particularly affecting Madeiran students studying away from the region.

Efforts by José Pedro Aguiar Branco, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, to reach an agreement among parties for the law to take effect in these elections have failed, despite a recorded unanimity in voting intentions. The President of the Republic had previously delayed the regional parliament's dissolution, opting for elections on March 23 instead of March 16.