WILLEMSTAD – Member of Parliament Sheldry Osepa of the Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP) no longer wishes to serve as vice chair of permanent parliamentary committees. This was reported by Èxtra. During a public meeting of Parliament on February 27, Osepa expressed his surprise that he still holds these positions in the Finance and Parliamentary Procedures committees. He argued that it is customary for opposition members not to serve as chair or vice chair of permanent committees.
Since August 2024, PNP has not been part of the governing coalition. Osepa questioned whether Parliament intends to maintain this practice. He pointed out that in the regional Parlatino parliament, the same rule applies: coalition factions are allowed to appoint two members per committee, while opposition parties can only appoint one. Following PNP’s split from the coalition, its members were removed from Parlatino committees and replaced by coalition representatives.
During the session, independent MP Zita Jesus-Leito, who was presiding over the meeting, responded that it is not uncommon for opposition members to hold chair positions. She cited herself as an example, as she has been vice chair of the temporary committee for a new parliamentary building since before she became an independent MP.
If Osepa formally wishes to resign from his vice chairmanship, he must raise the issue in a committee meeting, after which the committee can submit a request to the parliamentary president for changes to be made. This also applies to fellow PNP MP Gwendell Mercelina, who is currently vice chair of the Justice Committee.
However, the likelihood of these changes being implemented is low. The final parliamentary meetings before the March 21 elections are expected to take place on March 5 and 6. In the last two weeks leading up to the elections, new meetings are unlikely to be scheduled. After the elections, it remains to be seen how often Parliament will convene.