Questions from newspapers “Dan”:
– Among the MPs of the previous convocation were those who did not show up for any discussion, comments, or haven’t submitted a single amendment to any of the hundreds of reviewed laws. How do you expect those MPs to behave at the new convocation?
– Are there any mechanisms to force passive MPs to get involved in the discussion?
Marko Sošić, Public Policy Researcher in Institute Alternative replies:
First, we hope that such MPs (recorders of passivity in the 24th Parliament convocation) will not be a part of a new, 25th convocation – it seems that their time has passed and that they will be replaced by people with appropriate and advanced understanding of the position of the Parliament and of their role of the MPs.
It is early to talk about what will be the characteristics of the new convocation, before the November 6 and the constitutive session of the Parliament. However, even though we do not dare to predict, we express the hope that the new convocation will bring a new quality to importance and position of the Parliament. We hope, too, that the MPs of the new convocation will more often, more effectively and more readily than their predecessors in the 24th convocation, use a variety of control mechanisms that are available to them in order to oversight the work of the Executive.
There are no mechanisms by which passive MPs would be forced to change their way of working, to enhance their motivation for substantial contribution to the work of Parliament – but in the end, it depends on the MPs, but also on the club of Mps and the party to which MPs belong. Increased attention and public scrutiny seems to be the only way to make it clear to MPs that they are expected to do their best in order to reach the constitutional authority of the Parliament.
