The President of the Republic dissolved the Parliament of the Madeira Autonomous Region and set the date for regional elections to take place on May 6 next.
The decision was announced in a communiqué read by Dr. José Manuel Nunes Liberato, Head of the Presidential Civil Establishment.
Following is the text of the communiqué:
"As is known to the public, the President of the Regional Government of Madeira tendered his resignation to the Representative of the Republic on February 21, which, in the terms of the applicable legislation, implies the automatic resignation of the Regional Government.
Following this resignation, the Representative of the Republic held talks with the political forces in the Region, and concluded, in a report submitted to the President of the Republic, that it was totally impossible to form a new Government, notwithstanding the existence, in the current regional parliament, of a majority of members of one political party.
The President of the Republic reached the same conclusion when, on February 26, he heard the opinions of the political parties represented in the Regional Parliament.
The President of the Republic thus called a meeting of the Council of State, which, on Friday last, held the unanimous opinion that the Parliament of the Madeira Autonomous Region should be dissolved.
Having analysed the political situation resulting from the resignation of the Regional Government and since the formation of a new Government in the current parliamentary framework was not a viable proposition, the President of the Republic took the decision to dissolve the Parliament of the Madeira Autonomous Region and, in accordance with the terms of the Constitution and of the electoral legislation, set the date for the election to take place on May 6 next.
The current Regional Government will continue in place until the new Government is officially appointed, but, due to constitutional and legal imperative provisions, will be limited to the strictly necessary actions to ensure the management of the public affairs of the Region.
The President of the Republic appeals that these elections, as well as the preceding campaign, are serenely carried out, and that the democratic debate amongst the various political forces becomes an opportunity to provide the people of Madeira with a clear understanding of their future.
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