WILLEMSTAD – PAR Member of Parliament Shaheen Elhage is seeking detailed information about how Curaçao Parliament handles letters and petitions submitted by citizens and organizations, raising concerns about whether correspondence is consistently acknowledged, processed and answered within a reasonable period.
In a letter dated September 21 and addressed to Parliament President Fergino Brownbill, Elhage requested figures covering all letters, petitions and other written requests received and registered by Parliament during the previous six months. He wants to know how many received an acknowledgment, how many were answered substantively, how many remain unanswered and the average amount of time Parliament takes to respond.
The request follows an earlier letter Elhage sent on September 17 concerning correspondence submitted by citizen Stanley Bodok on November 11 and December 27, 2024.
According to Elhage, Bodok's letters were officially registered by Parliament under reference numbers SR 24-25/00271 and SR 24-25/00456. However, Bodok indicated that he had received neither confirmation that his letters had been received nor a response addressing their contents.
The PAR parliamentarian said the individual case raises a broader question about how Curaçao's legislature communicates with members of the public.
Elhage referred to Article 7 of Curaçao's Constitution, which gives everyone the right to submit written petitions to the competent authorities. He argued that petitions should not simply remain unread or untreated. Even when a substantive response requires more time, citizens should at least receive confirmation that their correspondence was received, followed by an answer within a reasonable period.
Elhage is asking Parliament to explain the complete procedure followed from the moment a citizen's letter is received and registered until it is processed and, where applicable, answered.
He also wants to know which official or department is responsible for acknowledging correspondence, whether there is a fixed deadline for doing so, and who is responsible for ensuring that registered letters are actually followed up.
Another question concerns whether Parliament maintains a tracking system or deadlines to prevent correspondence from remaining unresolved indefinitely.
Elhage specifically asked whether Parliament currently has letters or petitions that were registered more than six months ago but have still not received a substantive response. If so, he wants Parliament to disclose how many such cases exist.
According to the PAR MP, Parliament represents the people of Curaçao, and citizens who approach the institution should be able to trust that their correspondence will be acknowledged, registered, processed and properly answered.
He said a transparent system is particularly important when citizens contact Parliament about matters directly affecting their daily lives, including income security, pensions, public health, government administration and public finances.
Elhage is asking Brownbill to provide the requested information and clarify the current status of Bodok's two letters.