On Thursday (18), the Brazilian representatives in Mercosul Parliament (Parlasul) resumed the discussion about the criteria for the definition of the number of representatives by country, during the first meeting of Brazilian representatives, in Montevideo (Uruguay, the siege of Parlasul).

The Constitution Protocol of the Parliament had established a deadline in December 2007 for this issue to be decided, but the deliberation finished by being postponed to December 2008. Due to the Paraguayan resistance, the decision was delayed to the meeting with the chancellors next year.

The President of Parlasul, Dr. Rosinha (PT-PR), informed that, in the first quarter of 2009, there will be a meeting of the Governing Board of Parlasul with the chancellors from the member countries to define that issue.

The deputy asked that all representations present their concrete proposals to start negotiations. He expects that Parlasul gets to a consensus and presents a proposal at the ministries’ meeting.

Paraguay is the only country which has already used direct election to choose their representatives in Parlasul, and has been showing resistance regarding the issue of the amount of congresspeople each country should be entitled to have.

Divergences
Argentina’s proposal defines the total of 44 representatives for itself, 75 for Brazil, 19 for Paraguay, 19 for Uruguay and 37 for Venezuela.

The Brazilian proposal, presented by Dr. Rosinha, though, establishes that Argentina would have 33 representatives, Brazil,75, Paraguay, 18 Uruguay 18 and Venezuela, 27.

Currently, each of the four countries that compose the Parliament of Mercosul – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – has 18 representatives. Venezuela, which joining Mercosul now, has 9 representatives. The participation of Venezuela was approved Thursday morning (18).

Chiefs of State
The president of Parlasul, Deputy Dr. Rosinha, announced the support of the 36th Summit of Chiefs of State of Mercosul to the initiative of congresspeople.
The summit was held on the last 16 at Costa do Sauípe (BA). In a joint communication of the member States, the chiefs of State registered a commitment assumed by Parlasul: to present, before June 30th, a bill about the representation criterion and the performance of direct elections to Mercosul representatives, according to the respective election systems.

Initiatives
Dr. Rosinha also said that the chiefs of State who attended the 36th Summit highlighted the importance of initiatives such as the sending of election-observers mission to the revocatory referendum in Bolivia, in August 2008.

He affirmed that, on January 25th, a group of congresspeople from Mercosul will be sent to follow up on the referendum of the Bolivian Constitution, which was amended in 2007. The observers committee will be composed by three members from each country.

From the newsroom/NAJ/Rejane Xavier
With information from Agência Senado
Translation – Positive Idiomas Ltda