Efforts to enhance transparency in the Chamber of Deputies are gaining momentum as plans to live stream select commission meetings and revise debate models are underfoot.
Although the Chamber of Deputies will not hold a public session this week, the step represents , a significant move towards a more open and efficient parliamentary process. At present, the Chamber's commissions still meet behind closed doors.
The following five commissions are set to be streamed as part of a test phase from April: agriculture, housing, education, media, and the environment.
There are also plans to revise the Chamber's four debate models to make exchanges more efficient and attractive. For example, model 1, which is used most of the time, currently stipulates a maximum of about two hours, with more time allocated to parties with greater representation in parliament. A new plan to reduce speaking time by a full hour will be debated by lawmakers on Wednesday.
