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Cover page Contents
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March - April 2000 | |
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A legislature with glass walls |
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When Bolivia’s congress first convened under democratic rule in the early 1980s, floor sessions were colorful and chaotic. "Democracy meant talking as long as you wanted—no one had the right to interrupt anybody!" recalled current Bolivian Vice President Jorge Quiroga, who also serves as president of the Congress. Legislators could speak for hours on end, or simply read aloud from a book, in order to obstruct debate on a law they opposed. All 130 representatives in the Lower House of Congress were required to convene to work on any piece of legislation, no matter how specialized it might be. There were no formal mechanisms for soliciting public input or technical advice on a law. The congressional library had deteriorated to the point where it was practically unusable. Moreover, tradition allowed the members of the governing coalition to reserve for themselves all the senior positions within the legislature, including the chairmanships of all significant legislative committees. According to Quiroga, this created a state of permanent deadlock: "The logic was, one group works, the other obstructs." So one of the first goals of the IDB-financed National Governability Program was to draft a set of clear rules concerning debates and procedures in the Senate and the Lower House of Congress. The new rules, adopted in 1998 and 1999, divide leadership positions and committee appointments in the legis- lature so that opposition parties are guaranteed meaningful participation along with the governing coalition. They also structure and limit debates to ensure efficiency.
The committees, which in the past did little more than rubber stamp laws produced by the executive, now have permanent technical secretaries with expertise in sectors such as health or finance. New laws are analyzed and discussed by the committees in special glass-walled chambers that are accessible to the general public, not just to lobbyists. Plenary sessions of Congress consider bills only after the committees have finished work on them—a change that has improved the quality of legislation while vastly reducing the amount of time required to produce it. "There is no question that the new regulations have made Congress much more efficient," said José Navia, an IDB sector specialist who works with the National Governability Program in La Paz. Navia also praises the government’s efforts to turn the legislature into a leaner, more customer- oriented organization. Congressional support staff has been cut by around 600 in the last few years. The congressional library has been completely refurbished and is in the process of incorporating computer-based research tools for use by legislators and the general public. Housed partly inside fireproof vaults that once belonged to Bolivia’s National Bank, the library is home to priceless historical documents including the first manuscript score of the national anthem and numerous letters from Simón Bolívar. A new congressional website (www. congreso.gov.bo) allows citizens to read legislation, e-mail their representatives, and submit complaints on-line.In addition to increasing the efficiency of legislative activities, Quiroga said these changes have brought the lawmaking process closer to the people. "Today Bolivia’s most important laws—be it next year’s budget or the new law governing political parties—are being crafted right here, in the committees," he said. Recognizing that few people have the time to attend these sessions, however, Quiroga said that he hopes the debates will eventually be broadcast over television in a system similar to c-span in the United States. "Technology makes it possible for these sessions to be truly open," Quiroga said. "Using television and the Internet, we’d like people in every part of the country to participate."
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