WILLEMSTAD – A scheduled meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament failed to proceed yesterday due to a lack of quorum, forcing another postponement of discussions with the General Audit Chamber of Curaçao. 

Parliament President Charetti America-Francisca waited for more than half an hour in the hopes that additional Members of Parliament (MPs) would arrive, but ultimately had to postpone the session. For a Central Committee meeting to take place, a majority of the parliamentary factions must be present. Only three factions were represented yesterday: the ruling party MFK and the independent MPs Zita Jesus-Leito and Corine Djaoen-Genaro. The factions of KEM, PAR, PNP, and MAN were absent. 

The agenda item for the meeting was a follow-up discussion with the General Audit Chamber regarding its report titled “Ministry-Wide Review of Compliance with the Consultancy Policy during the Period 2011–2019.” 

During the first round of this discussion, MPs submitted questions which were answered in writing by the Audit Chamber on February 23, 2023—more than two years ago. Yesterday’s meeting was supposed to mark the second round of deliberations, providing an opportunity for further dialogue. The repeated delays now raise concerns about parliamentary commitment to reviewing government consultancy practices.