WILLEMSTAD – PNP Member of Parliament Sheldry Osepa has called on Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas to guarantee that members of Parliament will not face political repercussions for questioning ministers, including those from their own political party or the governing coalition.
In a letter addressed to the prime minister, Osepa warns that if such assurances are not provided, he may seek protection or intervention from organizations within the Kingdom of the Netherlands or international bodies.
The request follows remarks made by Pisas during the radio program Tribuna Popular. According to Osepa, the prime minister questioned the actions of a government-aligned member of Parliament—identified as Javier Silvania—after he submitted parliamentary questions to a minister from the governing MFK party. Osepa also alleges that the discussion included the possibility of party leadership taking action against the parliamentarian.
Osepa described the reported remarks as "anti-democratic, dangerous, and unacceptable."
He argued that Curaçao's Constitution does not distinguish between government and opposition members when it comes to Parliament's oversight responsibilities. While the government is responsible for governing, Parliament's constitutional role is to scrutinize and hold the executive accountable, he said.
According to Osepa, members of Parliament are not subordinate to the prime minister or to political party leaders. Instead, they derive their mandate directly from the electorate and, upon taking office, do not swear allegiance to any political party.
He warned that expecting coalition lawmakers to prioritize party interests over their constitutional duties would undermine Parliament's oversight function. The prospect of party discipline or exclusion, he argued, could discourage legislators from exposing problems or questioning ministers.
Osepa has submitted seven formal questions to Prime Minister Pisas. Among other issues, he is asking whether the prime minister recognizes that members of the governing party must also be free to publicly criticize ministers and whether they will be protected from political consequences when exercising their constitutional oversight role.
The letter was drafted on July 5. Parliament Speaker Fergino Brownbill officially forwarded the questions to Prime Minister Pisas, in his capacity as Minister of General Affairs, on July 20.