A Communist Party proposal to end, once and for all, the nightmare demolitions on the Algarve's Ria Formosa islands has been defeated in parliament.
The ruling Socialist Party voted against the proposal, despite when in opposition voting against the demolitions. Astoundingly, the lone MP from the People Nature and Animals party voted against the demolitions, so, with the Social Democrats and CDS abstaining, the Communists' motion was rejected.
Draft PCP Resolution 1823 / XII, recommended that the Government put an end to the demolitions of houses on the islands, in particular those about to take place in early November 2018 in Farol and Hangares on the island of Culatra.
For the Communists, "on the pretext of a supposed intention of renaturalising the barrier islands of the Ria Formosa, the PS, PSD, CDS and PAN intend to prepare the way to deliver one of the most valuable parcels of land on the national coastline, and one of the few in the Algarve that have escaped, to the eagerness of large private interests to exploit this valuable natural heritage for their benefit, sacrificing the rights of the local populations, their work and means of subsistence and the conservation of nature."
In the opinion of the Communist Party, by resuming these demolitions, "the Socialist Party and its Government are betraying the commitments and promises made to the local communities of the barrier islands of the Ria Formosa."
When the previous PSD-CDS Government began the demolition process, the opposition Socialist Party voted in favour of the Communist Party proposals aiming to put an end to this process, but now they are in Government, the Socialists are in favour of the demolitions and insists on pushing ahead with them.
The Communist proposal was robust in its intent and description of the devious way in which the political class has treated the islanders with contempt, convinced that the government has a plan to develop the islands as high class tourist resorts.
“But we all understand that after these demolitions in Farol and Hangares there will be further demolitions, in these and other housing areas, until nothing remains, fulfilling the goal of expelling the local communities from the barrier islands and limiting the right of the populations to the use of these islands as a place of residence and of developing their activities," read the now defeated proposal.
The government has fulfilled one of the promises wrung out of unwilling Environment Minister, João Matos Fernandes, by facilitating the legitimisation of properties in the village of Culatra, as long as the owners are engaged in sea-related activities or contribute to the island socially or economically. (HERE)
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As dw, AL and Lion make clear - the tragedy is that Portugal is still so new to democracy and there are so many fat envelopes to get passed over attempting (and if a foreigner failing) to put things right by the planners or by lawyers in Portuguese courts. Which gets the votes!