Changes To National Assembly Internal Regulations Include Punishments For Deputies
The draft that establishes proposals to change the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly is ready, according to the President of the National Assembly Sergio Galvez. Part of this change includes penalties for disrespect, and a decrease in the intervention periods. According to Galvez these changes will be widely discussed with all the of the various political parties to get their input. He said among the proposals to be discussed will be the subject of time - decreasing the "intervention period" (time allocated for Deputies to speak about a proposed bill) from 30 to 10 minutes. In addition there will be a penalty on them if they disrespect the authority leading the debate in any way. In this way they hope to improve parliamentary ethics, and it also involves an additional punishment to those who cause damage to property of the Assembly.
He said the issue will be widely discussed, and he emphasized that happened months ago cannot be repeated. Galvez said the political party to be consulted will be the Cambio Democratico, then Molirena, then the Panameñistas, and finally the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). (Telemetro)
Editor's Comment: What about penalties for Deputies who don't show up for work? Before he was elected as the new President of the National Assembly, Sergio Galvez was famous for being absent - he practically never went to work.
