MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur Parliament process begins 2006

Mercosur members have virtually agreed that a regional Parliament begins to function in 2006 with the same number of benches for all countries, according to reliable sources from the Joint Parliamentary Commission.

"There's a 99,8% chance that the deal will be sealed next Tuesday in Buenos Aires", added the source. On that day the 64 members of the Commission with representatives from Mercosur full members, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, will be meeting to agree on the finishing touches of the Parliament protocol.

Each country member will have 16 representatives, following a request from Paraguay, which rejected the original proposal of 36 delegates from Brazil, 31 from Argentina, 16 from Paraguay and 16 from Uruguay.

The regional "Legislative Chamber" will function as such until January 2011, and from then on a full Parliament with direct electoral representation will be established, although no details of the functioning were advanced.

This means that during the five first years the Mercosur legislative will be made up of representatives chosen by the different parliaments and as of 2011 by elected members. The idea of delaying the beginning of an elected Mercosur parliament is directly linked to the electoral process in the four country members.

In 2010 all country members will be holding general elections.

Once the Protocol to be agreed in Buenos Aires is ready it will be presented to the Mercosur Council which will then be voted in the December summit to be held in Montevideo.

Although Uruguay currently holds the Mercosur chair, the meeting this week is scheduled in Buenos Aires because of the Argentine mid term elections October 23 with most members of Congress fully absorbed by the campaign.