The President has signed off the Alojamento Local legislation amendments while pointing out his reservations that many of them may be unworkable.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa gave the green light to the new rules after Parliament voted on and passed the amendments which has resulted from a committee’s report and negotiations between the Socialist Party, the Communists and the Left Bloc.
The President observed that many of the AL solutions are questionable and involve a complex balance between law and practicality, which clearly he thinks has not been achieved.
"There are questionable norms and some legal precepts that are difficult," commented Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who signed the document anyway.
The President citied the more involved role for local Councils and the urgent objective of stopping historical zones becoming tourist ghettos as reasons he signed the law, before going off on his summer holiday.
Other legislation passed by the President included the transfer of certain powers from the Government to Portugal’s Councils, the new automatic electoral registration system for Portuguese emigrants and a green light for the recruitment of newly qualified doctors.
For the baffled, there is Nalle, an organisation set up to help those who wish to become compliant with the AL legislation: http://nalle.pt/
and there's afpop of course: http://www.afpop.com
