The Mercosul Parliament (Parlasul) held its 16th plenary session on Monday (16) and Tuesday (17), in Montevideo. The issue of proportionality for each country’s representation in the bloc, and the presentation of a work plan by the new president of that institution, the Paraguayan Ignacio Mendoza Unzain were at the agenda.

Proportionality
According to the Brazilian Vice-President of Mercosul Parliament, Deputy Dr. Rosinha (PT-PR), the main problem of the institution is currently the discussion on the proportionality of the caucuses of the member countries. The subject is at the agenda of the meeting on Monday at the Governing Board of Parlasul.

Dr. Rosinha said that the Paraguayan caucus does not accept the representativity criteria suggested so far. According to the proposal of the Brazilian caucus, Brazil would have 75 members, Argentina, 33, and Paraguay and Uruguay, 18 each. Venezuela, which still needs to be officially integrated to Mercosul, would have 27 representatives. Argentina also made a suggestion, maintaining the suggested amounts to Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, but broadening the amount of Argentinean and Venezuelan congresspeople.

Boycott
Dr. Rosinha stressed that, despite not accepting any proposal, the Paraguayan representatives did not suggest a different amount. He evaluated the attitude of the Paraguayan representatives as a “boycott”

"According to my opinion, the problem is simply a boycott. There is no other reason. When you have different positions, you present them. Paraguay’s representatives affirm that they are in favor of proportionality, but do not present any different proposal, and this, for me, shows only that they do not want proportionality.”

Deputy Dr. Rosinha also affirmed that the bi-lateral issues involving Brazil and Paraguay, such as the agreement on Itaipu or the debate on the “Braziguayan”, will not be dealt with at the Parlasul meeting.

Because of the difficulties on the agreement with Paraguay on the proportionality, the meeting commemorating the 18th anniversary of the Treaty of Asuncion will not be held in that country, as it had been suggested by the Paraguayan caucus. The treaty of Asuncion, signed on March 26th, 1991, established the bases for Mercosul.

Democracy Watch
Among the subjects at the agenda of the meeting is also the regulation of the Democracy Watch, created in 2007. The objective of that body is to guarantee the accomplishment of the objectives of the Ushuaia Protocol, on the democratic commitment in Mercosul.

Among the actions of the watch are the follow-up on the electoral processes in countries of the region and the implementation of studies on democracy. Last year, even before the approval of operating rules, the watch sent a delegation of congresspeople to Bolivia to follow-up on the political situation in that country, after the referendum which confirmed the president Evo Morales in his position.

Double task
For Dr. Rosinha, Parlasul will face two challenges in 2009: showing society the importance of the Mercosul Parliament, with the participation of civil society; and establishing an election process for the choice of congresspeople who will actuate exclusively at Parlasul.

According to him, since the congresspeople of all countries exert a double task, they eventually prioritize the representation in the congresses of each country, and their representation at Parlasul loses its priority.

Dr. Rosinha stressed the need to perform special elections for the institution still in 2010. Therefore, the need to define the amount of representatives of each country at the institution.

According to the staff of Parlasul, the recommendation by the Council of the Common Market to adopt the image of the “gaucho with his crioulo horse”, as the representative icon of Mercosul; the declaration in recognition of Ernesto Che Guevara; the calendar of sessions in 2009; and the new establishment of Permanent Committees should also be discussed.

Report - Cristiane Bernardes
Editing - Newton Araújo/Rejane Xavier
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda