Justice and Human Rights Minister Felix Chero on Thursday affirmed that closing Congress is an unconstitutional and anti-democratic practice that is not even provided in the Constitution.
During his appearance before the Congress' Permanent Commission, Chero remarked that he is respectful of the Magna Carta and that the possibility of creating an altered situation is not on the agenda.
Besides, he mentioned that this has not been discussed within the Executive Branch, at the Council of Ministers, or at any other space for dialogue.
"That is the only interview I gave on the matter, and it has been distorted because I never talked about closing Congress because such thing does not exist, constitutionally speaking," the minister stated.
"Besides, closing Congress is an unconstitutional, anti-democratic practice, and I must say that an attempt of this type could produce a violation of the Constitution," he added.
The government official pointed out that Article 134 of the Constitution establishes the process for requesting a confidence vote, whose consequence may be the dissolution of Congress.
"But pedagogically speaking —since I am a professor— I was trying to explain what a pre-existing constitutional procedure is. On that basis, the possibility of harming Congress, or even legislators, has not been in my mind or even in my statement," he explained.
In this regard, the Cabinet member affirmed that a constant feature in his statements always includes three basic guidelines, such as being respectful, being honest, and being transparent.
"And every time I have attended Congress I have greeted everyone respectfully, even if they are from the ruling party or the opposition," Chero commented.
"Besides, I have always said that we are seeking consensus and understanding between Parliament and the Executive Branch in order to set up a national agenda and a country project, because that is what the population expects," he underlined.
(END) JCC/CVC/RMB/MVB
Published: 7/21/2022