Luanda – The Commission1 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (AP-CPLP) on Tuesday in Luanda, expressed concern over the fact that "the Guinean parliament is being prevented from exercising its mandate of representing the people", having suggested dialogue to overcome the crisis.
Speaking to the press, the head of AP-CPLP commission, responsible for Political Matters, Strategy, Legislation, Citizenship and Circulation, the Portuguese deputy Porfírio Silva, said the situation that the Parliament of Guinea-Bissau is experiencing represents "a disregard for the constitutional principles of that Republic".
The President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Embaló, recently dissolved that country's Parliament due to armed clashes between the National Guard and the Presidency's battalion, claiming that it was an attempted coup d'état.
"It is not up to the AP-CPLP nor the member states to tell the people and institutions of Guinea-Bissau how they should resolve their issues, or what their laws and leaders should be, but in respect for the statutory principles of the CPLP and the AP-CPLP we cannot fail to emphasize the need for the solution to be found in respect for the Constitution and laws and the restoration of constitutional normality", Silva said.
Porfírio Silva underlined that a solution must be found through dialogue, for whom there can only be understanding if the Constitution, laws and the popular mandate is respected.
AP-CPLP Permanent Secretariat installed in Luanda
The Commission 1 of the CPLP Parliamentary Assembly said it was pleased to see that the Permanent Secretariat of the AP-CPLP based at the Angolan National Assembly in Luanda is operational.
Deputy Porfírio Silva said that for several years they had been working effectively on this project to institutionally consolidate the CPLP Parliamentary Assembly, with the commitment and dedication of the members of the Angolan Parliament.
"And today we can see that the Permanent Secretariat is up and running, with the presence, for the first time, of the first permanent secretary, Pedro Beia, appointed by Equatorial Guinea, who now chairs the CPLP Parliamentary Assembly," he said.
The CPLP Parliamentary Assembly was established by the 12th Council of Ministers of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries held in November 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Created on July 17, 1996 in Lisbon, the CPLP is made up of Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor. DC/VIC
DC/VIC /CF/AMP
