The president of the CPI to INEM, Marta Silva, announced that proposals have been received from PSD, Chega, IL, PS, and PCP, with only Livre’s proposal pending, expected by Thursday.
“I suggest waiting a few more days and scheduling a meeting for the 17th to vote on this issue,” stated the Chega deputy.
Silva noted, however, that the absence of a finalized schedule does not hinder the progress of the work.
Among the proposals already submitted, she highlighted IL’s, for its balance between in-person and written hearings, which she described as “the one that would expedite the process.”
However, she warned that the proposal of 62 in-person and 52 written hearings could extend the work to about 20 weeks, exceeding five months, which she deemed “impossible.”
Silva reminded that IL suggested the most entities to be heard in writing, while PSD proposed around 25 and PS 37. Nonetheless, the total number of in-person hearings remains excessive.
“I ask the members, for the second time, to make a serious effort for a more efficient screening of the entities we should hear,” she asserted, arguing that only through rationalization can the CPI achieve its goals.
The CPI president called for the proposed schedule of hearings to be agreed upon by the next meeting, recommending that only 20% be in-person and 80% written.
“In the next meeting, the schedule must be closed and agreed upon by all. Meet informally, we won’t spend more hours in plenary discussing line by line,” she reiterated, urging deputies to define only the strictly necessary in-person hearings.
The Chega deputy emphasized that if doubts arise after written responses, entities can be summoned for additional in-person hearings.
Last week, the CPI to INEM decided to conduct 115 hearings.
“We face a very extensive list and this will possibly result in 57 and a half meetings to perform these 115 hearings,” Marta Silva remarked at the time.
Among the options under discussion is having some responses provided in writing and screening between three-hour hearings and shorter schedules of about an hour and a half after plenary.
Today, deputies also reinforced the request for the final report from the Independent Technical Commission for the restructuring of INEM.
The CPI was approved in July following a proposal by the Liberal Initiative. It comprises 24 deputies and has a 90-day deadline to investigate the political, technical, and financial responsibilities concerning the current state of INEM.
The focus includes INEM’s performance during the strike at the end of October and beginning of November 2024, as well as the political oversight’s relationship with the institute since 2019.
