The Joke Parliament

The Regional Parliament set the following made-to-measure rules of intervention to discuss the budget rectification:

a. The Government disposes of 15 minutes to present the budget rectification.

b. Parliamentarians are allowed to ask one single question, not exceeding the time limit of one minute.

c. Questions cannot be reformulated

d. The President disposes of one minute to answer each question.

e. No protests are allowed.

f. Following this, each group, in the following order is allowed to intervene for the following period:

g. PSD: 34 minutes; PS: 8 minutes; PCP: 3 minutes; CDS: 3 minutes; Bloco, PND and MPT 2 minutes each.

h. No protests are allowed.

i. The Government is allowed 15 minutes to respond.

j. No further requests for questions or clarifications allowed.

k. The parties are then allowed a further intervention for the same period above (g), but in reverse order.

l. The Government is allowed to intervene FOR AN UNLIMITED PERIOD OF TIME.

Obviously this is not a Parliament where there is any room for debate or exchange of ideas.