Deputy Salvador Ruiz Sánchez-Mexico
V Summit of the Americas: The Role of Parliaments and Related Implications. In order to answer this question, we must first understand the meaning of the term Parliament. Javier Orozco Gómez provides the following definition: “It is the political institution where domestic affairs are discussed and the place where a country’s different ideological trends converge to represent the concerns of its peoples.”
We therefore act as the link between citizens and government bodies; we act as the voice of the people, in the face of the difficulties faced by or country.
When writing these lines I cannot help referring to my country. The Mexican government is divided into three branches; i.e. the Executive power, which is vested in the President; the Legislature, which enacts the laws, and the Judiciary, which administers justice to society by enforcing them. The Mexican Congress is divided into 2 Houses, namely: the Senate, consisting of 128 members (64 of whom are elected by a relative majority, 32 of them by the first minority and 32 by the principle of proportional representation), and the House of Representatives, which consists of 500 representatives, 300 of them elected by a relative majority and 200 by the principle of proportional representation. In our federal system there are federal and local representatives, who are given a seat by each state in their relevant local parliaments. Both represent the concerns of the Mexican citizens, leaving aside partisan biases.Mexico suffers from the current economic crisis, which has severely affected different sectors of the population. Hence we, Parliamentarians, must make every effort to reach agreements and take measures to promote the country’s economic, commercial, cultural and political development. A clear example of that is the discussion by the Mexican Government on the allocation of the Federation’s 2009 Expenditure Budget. The approved budget (3,045,478,600,000.00 Mexican Pesos) will be allocated as follows: 235,858 million to agricultural production; over 104 million to public safety and counter crime actions, and 41,474,600,000 to road infrastructure. In this sense, it is worth noting that we are not the only country to go through this awful financial and economic crisis; however, and even though our neighbouring country is at the very heart of it, I believe that conditions are in place in Mexico and a part of Latin America to stand the impact of this situation. It is by means of the Federation’s Expenditure Budget that the Mexican Congress is involved in economic affairs.
In the face of this international background, worldwide government leaders must adopt a strong and unified position. Moreover, Parliamentarians must also demand a greater role in the next Summit of the Americas, where Heads of State and Government from different countries will share views and discuss about the current situation in the Americas.
I think that Parliamentarians play a significant role within several population sectors, since we act as communication channels between them and the government. On the other hand, and from an economic standpoint, we are aware of the US hegemony and should not forget our economic dependence on our Northern neighbour. Efforts should therefore focus on maintaining diplomatic relationships with the USA without creating unnecessary conflict, while also seeking to open new markets and start strengthening trade and diplomatic relationships with Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the European Union.
Being a Parliamentarian does not only entail speaking on behalf of our fellow citizens abroad but also trying to solve internal conflicts, thus responding to the needs of the people that elected us. I hope that the next Summit of the Americas will give Parliamentarians the opportunity to become more deeply engaged in the Summit process so that in the future we can enjoy large-scale parliamentary engagement and multilateralism.
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