Dili Workshop: Timor-Leste Parliament Reviews Rules of Procedures
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| ^ The Workshop in Session in the Parliament House Conference Room. |
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| ^ The Workshop convening team: (l to r) Mr Stephen Frappell - Director, Procedure, Legislative Council, Parliament of NSW | Ms Lynn Lovelock - Clerk of the Legislative Council, Parliament of NSW | Mr Karlito Nunes - Senior Program Officer, IRI | Mr Quinton Clements - CDI Deputy Director. |
At the request of the President of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste, Mr Fernando Lasama de Araujo, the Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI), in conjunction with the Department of the Legislative Council, Parliament of New South Wales, and with the support of the International Republican Institute (IRI), organised a workshop for Members of the Working Group of the National Parliament tasked with reviewing the Rules of Procedure. The Working Group is chaired by Ms Maria Teresinha Viegas and includes representatives from all party benches in the National Parliament.
CDI Deputy Director Quinton Clements, together with Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Legislative Council and Mr Stephen Frappell, Director, Procedure, Legislative Council, convened the workshop.
The aim of the workshop was to assist the Working Group in undertaking its review and revision of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure or Standing Orders. The focus was on examining the current Rules of Procedure and considering best practice from elsewhere. Seventeen Members of Parliament participated in the workshop. During the two day program, participants considered six key thematic areas relating to the Standing Orders - the sources of authority for the Standing Orders and general principles relating to parliamentary practice and procedure, the Rules of Debate, Committee procedures, Questions to the Government, Powers and Immunities, and the passage of legislation.
Following the workshop Ms Lovelock and Mr Clements will continue to assist the Working Group with this review. It is expected that the Working Group will complete its review by early 2009 so that their recommendations can then be considered by the Plenary.
Click on these links for more detail and watch this page for updates as the review process develops over the coming months:
