WILLEMSTAD – President of the Curaçao Parliament Fergino Brownbill wants to improve the way written parliamentary questions are handled amid concerns about how long members sometimes have to wait for answers from government ministers.
Brownbill confirmed that discussions are taking place with the government about improving the process, following criticism from the opposition PNP party.
Written questions are one of Parliament's principal instruments for scrutinizing the government.
Members regularly invoke Article 96 of Parliament's Rules of Order to request information from ministers on government policy, public spending and issues affecting the community.
The effectiveness of that instrument, however, depends heavily on ministers responding within a reasonable period.
Delays can reduce the value of parliamentary scrutiny, particularly when questions concern developments that require timely political accountability.
The issue is especially relevant because members of both governing and opposition factions regularly submit extensive sets of questions to ministers.
Recent examples cover subjects ranging from food safety and restaurant inspections to poverty, education, government expenditure and social policy.
Brownbill's initiative suggests that Parliament itself recognizes that improvements are needed in the flow of information between the legislature and executive branch.
No new procedure or formal deadline has yet been announced.
Any changes could nevertheless strengthen Parliament's oversight role by ensuring that questions do not remain unanswered long after the issue that prompted them has moved off the political agenda.