MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur Parliament opens May 7 in Montevideo

Mercosur headquater in Montevideo

Mercosur's Parliament will be formally opened next May 7 at Uruguay's Legislative Palace and in its first year will have an operational monthly budget of 30.000 US dollars, according to delegates from the five member countries.

The group's parliament, made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela, was solemnly launched last December 14 in Brasilia. Although Paraguay currently holds the six months rotating chair, the ceremony is scheduled in Uruguay because Montevideo was chosen as the seat for the group's Parliament. However and in spite of the political agreement to a "low cost, no bureaucracy" parliament, the Mercosur Council, (Foreign Affairs and Economy ministers) still have to decide on the 2008/2010 budget during a meeting scheduled next May in Paraguay. The Parliament bill will be split, half of it according to the number of legislators from each country and the other half based on GDP of each member. Legislators will not be paid for their work in the regional parliament and the basic staff in 2007 will be limited to 25, possibly growing to 45/50 as of next year, revealed Uruguayan Congress member Roberto Conde. Each Mercosur member will be represented in this first stage by 18 Parliamentarians elected by the two chambers of the legislative branch of each country. Paraguayan senator Alfonso González Acuña will preside the opening session. Mercosur Parliament will function at Montevideo's Town Hall while a decision on a definitive location, --and budgetâ€"is decided.