Word: parliament
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Selection of Nobre da Costa was Eanes' way out of the bind bestowed on him by Soares, whose party holds 102 seats in Portugal's fractious 263-member parliament. Eanes fired Soares when the fragile governing coalition came apart as a result of restiveness on the part of the supporting Social Democratic Center Party, a more conservative-leaning group than the Socialists. Soares did not want to go. As leader of the largest single parliamentary bloc, he felt that Eanes would have to call him back to mediate the standoff resulting from his departure, or else call elections...
...necessarily. Although Portugal's constitution constrains the President to "take into consideration the results of elections," Eanes seems to take the interpretation that he can ask anyone he wants to be Premier - so long as that person can form a Cabinet, present an acceptable program to parliament within ten days and then survive a confidence vote. His choice of Nobre da Costa indicates Eanes' feeling that administrative competence is more desirable at the moment than political popularity. Nobre da Costa is being presented to the country as a transitional Premier with a mandate to restore confidence...
...points. A key question for the government, however, is the future electoral fate of the faltering Liberal Party, whose 13 M.P.'s provided the margin of victory for Labor on numerous key votes in the 635-seat Commons. Last week the Liberals were dealt a staggering blow outside Parliament (see following story), which made their balloting prospects look even bleaker. If the Liberals lose more ground, most of their disaffected supporters are expected to back the Conservatives. Says one Labor M.P.: "The Tories have only to hold their own vote and pick up two out of five Liberal votes...
...English case involves three small, militantly leftist magazines held in contempt for printing the name of an Intelligence Officer. Called Colonel B in court, the officer had testified against two left-wing journalists charged under the British O.S.A. with receiving unauthorized information. Four members of Parliament later deliberately uttered his real name in a nationally broadcast debate. Radio commentators, fearing prosecution, were careful not to repeat the name. The magazines were hand-slapped with small fines (less than $1,000 each), and much of the press ridiculed the whole farce...
Lately, segments of press and Parliament in both countries have been less docile and more inclined to see The Act as a cover-up tool. Says Canadian M.P. Gerald Baldwin: "What was conceived of as a weapon of defense against enemies without has become an offensive weapon for governments and bureaucrats to deal with embarrassments within...